that stream, known to the whites as Sweetwater creek, a tributary of the
North fork of Red river, near the western line of the reservation, just
within the Texas panhandle. The dance was made by Dóhéñte,
"No-moccasins," the successor of Anso te; it occurred in June and was
attended by Battey, who describes it in detail in his book. There were
present most of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache, with a large part of
the Cheyenne and Arapaho, who discussed the question of starting another
war in consequence of the continued imprisonment of Set-t'aiñte and
Big-tree. Although Battey himself had come to bring them the news of the
further detention of these chiefs on account of the Modok war, he was
able, with the help of Kicking-bird, to dissuade the Indians from their
hostile intent.
[Illustration: FIG. 154--Summer 1873--Pa-kóñkya's horses killed.]
While the dance was in progress Pa-kóñkya ("Black-buffalo") "stole" the
wife of Guibadái, "Appearing-wolf," in retaliation for which the injured
husband killed seven of Pa-kóñkya's horses and took a number of others,
in accordance with the tribal custom; he threatened also to kill the
seducer, so that the _Toñkóñko_ Dog-soldiers had to interfere. The
killing of the horses or the seizure of the property of the offender by
the injured husband is the regular tribal punishment for such offenses,
but in extreme cases, as in this instance, the Dog-soldiers interfere.
The same event is recorded on both calendars, the Set-t'an picture being
sufficiently suggestive, while the Anko calendar has above the medicine
pole the figure of a horse's head struck by a bullet, with another head
below it to represent the woman.
WINTER 1873-74
[Illustration: FIG. 155--Winter 1873-74--Set-t'aiñte returns;
Lone-wolf's son killed.]
_Set-t'aiñte Tsän-de Sai_, "Winter of Set-t'aiñte's return." The notable
event of this season was the return of Set-t'aiñte from prison October
8, 1873. The figure above the winter mark on the Set-t'an calendar shows
Set-t'aiñte, distinguished by his red headdress, coming into his tipi,
which was conspicuous by being painted entirely red, with red streamers
at the ends of the poles. The red marks above the tipi are intended to
represent his return footprints. The event is noted at length in another
place.
The Anko calendar commemorates the killing in Mexico of two "sons" (i.
e., a son and a nephew) of Lone-wolf, rudely indicated below the winter
mark by a human figure wearing a _k`ódalpä_ or shell breastplate, with
several flying bullets at the side.
Battey, who was in the Kiowa camp when the news arrived, has this entry
in his diary under date of January 13, 1874:
This is a day of wailing in our camp. News arrived this morning of
the death of two Kiowa braves, the one a son of Lone-wolf, the
other of Red-otter [_Ápeñ-gúădal_] Lone-wolf's brother. They were
killed while on a raid in Mexico. Lone-wolf's son was wounded in
the knee a year ago last summer while raiding in Texas, and came
near losing his life. This, it seems, did not satisfy his thirst
for blood, and the Kiowa determining to raid no more in Texas, he,
the past autumn, went into Mexico, where it appears he has been
killed. The camp resounded with the death wail, the song of
mourning for the unreturning braves mingled with the war whoop.
This was revived at stated intervals for several days (_Battey,
21_).
According to information given by the Indians to Battey, Lone-wolf's
son, with a few other young Kiowa warriors, had accompanied a raiding
party of Comanche into Mexico. On their return they were attacked at a
night camp by Mexican troops and the two Kiowa were killed. The
remaining Kiowa at once returned home with the news, but the Comanche
crossed the Rio Grande into Texas and began a series of raids on Nueces
river, when they were attacked by soldiers and several killed. The rest
started for home, but meeting another party of Comanche, they turned
back with them and were again attacked by the troops, losing, in both
encounters, twenty-two killed. A desire to avenge these losses had much
to do with the ferment among them which led to the outbreak in the
following summer; they also tried to make it appear that the Kiowa had
been raiding in Texas when killed, in order to involve that tribe with
themselves, although it seems beyond question that the Kiowa were killed
in Mexico and had not been engaged in the Texas raids.
Lone-wolf went to Mexico to bury the body of his son, the sun dance
having been postponed in the meantime, and it is said that on finding it
he knelt down beside it and vowed to avenge his death with the life of a
white man. A lot of government horses were soon afterward stolen from
Fort Concho (or Clark?), in Texas, and it was charged that this was done
by Lone-wolf and his party on their return, although they denied it. The
killing of his son was the chief reason assigned by Lone-wolf for his
part in the outbreak which followed (_Battey, 22_; _Report, 91_).
[Illustration: FIG. 156--Summer 1874--The medicine lance; Bluff-end sun
dance.]
SUMMER 1874
_Tsó`kakánă-de K`ádó_, "Sun dance at the end of the bluff." The dance
was held at a place called _Tsó`kakán_, "end of the bluff," on the south
side of the North fork of Red river, above the junction of Elm fork, at
a mountain called by the Kiowa the "Last mountain," in Greer county,
Oklahoma. On the Anko calendar the bluff is indicated by a projection
from one side of the medicine pole.
At this dance Set-t'aiñte, in thanksgiving for his release from prison,
gave his famous _zébat_, or medicine arrow-lance, to Ä´`to-t'aiñ,
"White-cowbird," brother of the chief Sun-boy, thus resigning his own
chieftainship in favor Ä´`to-t'aiñ. There were only two lances of this
kind in the tribe, both being regarded as medicine lances, the other
belonging to Tän-gúădal (see winter 1868-69).
WINTER 1874-75
_Gí-edal Ehótal-de Sai_, "Winter that Big-meat was killed." The southern
plains tribes, including a large part of the Kiowa, went out together on
the warpath. After the fight at the Wichita agency, at Anadarko, in
August, 1874, as previously detailed, the Comanche warriors who were
implicated fled to the Staked plain, and the Kiowa to the head of Red
river, with the troops in pursuit. While there a small party of the
Kiowa went on a horse-stealing raid into New Mexico, resulting in an
encounter, in which they killed two men, captured a woman, and ran off
several horses. On their return they stopped to rest in the mountains,
and were stretched at ease telling stories when they were suddenly
attacked by the soldiers. Gi-edal was mortally wounded at the first
fire, but propped himself against a rock and succeeded in killing one
soldier and wounding another before he died. Another Kiowa was killed
also, but the troops were finally repulsed. The Set-t'an calendar shows
Gi-edal, who is distinguished by buffalo horns on his war-bonnet,
wounded, with the blood gushing from his mouth.
At the close of the outbreak, a number of warriors were selected and
sent to confinement at Fort Marion, Florida. The figure on the Anko
calendar is intended to represent Fort Sill, with the imprisoned Kiowa
warriors confined before being sent to Florida.
[Illustration: FIG. 157--Winter 1874-75--Gi-edal killed; Kiowa
imprisoned.]
[Illustration: FIG. 158--Summer 1875--Love-making spring sun dance.]
SUMMER 1875
_K`ioñ-Toñ K`ádó_, "Love-making spring sun dance." It was held at a
spring in a bend on the north (reservation) bank of North fork of Red
river, a few miles from _K`ób-akán_, "Last mountain" (Mount Walsh, in
Greer county). As conditions were yet unsettled on account of the
outbreak, the Kiowa were escorted on this occasion by a body of troops.
The spring takes its name from the fact that on one occasion, while the
Kiowa were encamped there, some young men "stole" two girls who had gone
to the spring for water. On the Anko calendar the place is identified by
a figure of a woman above the medicine pole.
WINTER 1875-76
In this instance the same event is recorded on both calendars by means
of the figure of a ram or goat in connection with the winter mark.
[Illustration: FIG. 159--Winter 1875-76--Sheep and goats issued.]
In the various engagements during the last campaign and at the final
surrender, several thousand ponies and mules had been taken from the
Indians. These were sold under direction of Colonel Mackenzie, who
determined to invest the proceeds in sheep and cattle for the benefit of
the Indians, with the idea of changing their habits from hunting to
pastoral. A detachment of troops, accompanied by several Kiowa and
Comanche, was sent to New Mexico, where they purchased thirty-five
hundred sheep and goats, with which they returned in November, 1875, the
flock being driven by Mexican herders. Many died on the journey, and the
remainder arrived in poor condition, but recuperated in the spring, when
they were distributed to those Indians deemed most deserving.
Stumbling-bear received one hundred, and others smaller flocks. Six
hundred cattle were also purchased from the same fund and distributed in
the same manner (_Report, 92_).
Just previous to the outbreak the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache, with the
few of the Delaware tribe living among them, were officially reported to
have over sixteen thousand horses and mules. At the close of the
troubles they had only six thousand remaining, having lost ten thousand
within a little more than a year. They had also a small number of cattle
before the outbreak, but no sheep (_Report, 93_).
This was the first general attempt by the Kiowa to raise stock (except
horses). Although at the start the experiment promised well, the herds
were soon reduced by neglect, killing for food, etc., and in a few years
the last animal was gone. It is said that some of the sheep escaped to
the Wichita mountains, where for several years they roamed wild.
SUMMER 1876
[Illustration: FIG. 160--Summer 1876--Horse-stealing sun dance.]
_Iyúgúa P'a Pähä´dal K'ádó_, Sun dance at the fork of Maggot
(Sweetwater) creek, or _Paí-tälyí-de Tseñko Edásémk`opa-de K`ádó_, "Sun
dance when Sun-boy's horses were stolen." This dance was held at the
junction of Sweetwater creek and the North fork of Red river, on the
western line of the reservation. While it was in progress some Mexicans
stole all of Sun-boy's horses. After the dance the Kiowa pursued the
thieves, but their horses gave oat, and they failed to recover the
stolen animals. On both calendars the event is indicated by means of
figures representing horse tracks near the medicine lodge.
Dó-héñte, "No-moccasins" ("Tohaint" of Battey) had died in the preceding
fall and had been succeeded as _taíme_ priest by Set-dayá-iti,
"Many-bears," who made this dance. He was the uncle of Set-dayiá-iti,
who was killed by the Ute, and the cousin ("brother") of Taímete, who
afterward had charge of the _taíme_.
WINTER 1876-77
This winter is distinguished on the Set-t'an calendar by the killing of
the woman A`gábaí, "On-top-of-the-hill," by her husband Íăpa, "Baby,"
in the Kiowa camp, which at that time was a short distance below Fort
Sill. The figure shows the woman above the winter mark, with a character
intended for a cliff beside a river (the wavy line) to indicate her
name. Although the killing occurred in summer, it was some time after
the sun dance, and hence is marked as happening in winter. The woman was
sick and promised Íăpa, who was considered a doctor and was then
unmarried, that if he would make her well she would marry him; he
succeeded in curing her and she married him, but soon after left him,
and for this he stabbed her.
[Illustration: FIG. 161--Winter 1876--1877--A'gábaí killed; scouts
enlisted.]
The incident is thus noted by Agent Haworth in his official report:
A young man in a mad fit killed his wife. On hearing of it, I
called a council of Kiowa chiefs and asked them to take some action
about it. I explained to them the penalties the white man's law
inflicted for such terrible crimes. After a short consultation they
decided they would do with him whatever I said--kill him, if I said
so. They said, however, that he was young and foolish and did not
know the white man's laws or road, but they would arrest him as
soon as he could be found and bring him to me, and I could do with
him as I desired. Two of their number, Dangerous-eagle and
Big-tree, about nine oclock the same evening brought him to my
house, having made the arrest themselves. I sent them on with him
to the guard-house, where he was confined for several months, most
of the time with ball and chain, working around the garrison in
full view of his people. After his arrest they made the request
that, in consideration of his ignorance of the white man's laws,
his life be spared. I told them he would not be hurt, but the
arrest was made without any promises of mercy being exacted or
made, no soldiers being required, and done simply on my suggestion
or request (_Report, 94_).
Anko's calendar commemorates the fact that he, with about twenty other
Kiowa braves, enlisted as scouts this year at Fort Sill, remaining in
the service two or three years. The figure below the winter mark shows a
man holding a gun and wearing a peculiar variety of hat then used by the
scouts. The first Kiowa scouts were enlisted at the time of the
surrender in 1875.
[Illustration: FIG. 162--Summer 1877--Measles sun dance.]
SUMMER 1877
_Dä´-mä´tánä´ P'a K`ádó_, "Star-girl-tree river sun dance," or
_Á`gat-hódal K`ádó_, "Measles sun dance." This dance took place within
the present Greer county, Oklahoma, on Salt fork of Red river, called by
the Kiowa the "Star-girl-tree river," from a noted tree which originated
from a sapling used in a medicine sacrifice to the "Star girls" or
Pleiades. On this occasion the troops accompanied the Kiowa on their
buffalo hunt and afterward escorted them to the place selected for the
dance.
This summer is noted for an epidemic of measles, which is said to have
killed more children in the tribe than the measles epidemic of 1892. It
is represented on both calendars by a human figure covered with red
spots, above the medicine lodge. Strangely enough there is no notice of
this epidemic in the report of the agent for this year, which may
perhaps be accounted for by the fact that he was himself prostrated by
sickness which occasioned his retirement in the following spring. From
the report of the agent for the Cheyenne and Arapaho, however, we learn
that the epidemic broke out among the latter tribes in April, and in
spite of the best efforts of the physician, killed two hundred and
nineteen children, so that almost every family was in mourning. In happy
contrast to the more recent experience of the Kiowa, the government
school was temporarily turned into a hospital, with the teachers for
nurses, so that although seventy-four children were sick at the same
time, not one died (_Report, 95_).
WINTER 1877-78
_K`op-taíde-do-tsédal-de Sai_, "Signal-mountain winter." During this
winter a part of the tribe camped near Mount Scott, while the remainder
camped west of Fort Sill, at the foot of Signal mountain, called by the
Kiowa "the mountain with a house built upon it," referring to a stone
lookout station built during the last Indian outbreak. The figure on the
Set-t´an calendar is sufficiently suggestive of a house upon a mountain.
[Illustration: FIG. 163--Winter 1877-78--Camp at Signal mountain; hunt
on Pecan creek.]
Anko records the fact that he hunted buffalo this winter on Elk creek
(on upper Red river), called by the Kiowa _Dónä´-i P'a_, "Pecan river."
The rounded figure below the winter mark is intended to represent a
pecan nut.
This winter is noted for an epidemic of fever, which is mentioned in the
report for 1878. In the fall of 1877, under Agent Haworth, as an
inducement to the Indians to abandon their roaming habit, the government
built houses for ten prominent chiefs of the three tribes, including
Stumbling-bear, Gaápiatañ (Heidsick), Guñsádalte (Cat), and Sun-boy, of
the Kiowa, and White-man and Taha, of the Apache. These were the first
Indian houses ever built upon the reservation, excepting two erected by
the military. At first the new owners continued to live in the tipis,
which they preferred from long usage, but by the further gift of beds
and chairs they were induced to go into the houses. An attempt to get
the Indians to cut the logs and do a part of the work themselves under
instruction seems to have been a failure. The houses were reasonably
good frame structures of three rooms, having doors, glass windows, and
substantial double fireplaces and chimneys of stone; they cost $600
each (_Report, 96_). In 1886 there were nine Kiowa families living in
houses (_Report, 97_), but a few years later most of these dwellings
were vacant or occupied by white renters, the Indian owners being again
in the tipis.
SUMMER 1878
_Adăldä K`ádó_, "Repeated sun dance." This is the second recorded
instance of this kind, the first having occurred in 1842. On the
Set-t´an calendar it is indicated by the figure of two adjoining
medicine lodges, and in the Anko calendar by a double-forked medicine
pole. The two dances were held on the North fork of Red river. Part of
the Kiowa had gone to the plains on the western part of the reservation
to hunt buffalo, while the others remained at home. Each party, unknown
to the other, promised to make a sun dance, in consequence of which one
dance was held at the regular period, after which the leaves were
renewed and another dance was held for another four days. On this
occasion also the buffalo hunters, who made one sun dance, were escorted
by a detachment of troops as a protection and as a precaution against
their committing depredations (_Report, 98_).
[Illustration: FIG. 164.--Summer 1878--Repeated sun dance.]
WINTER 1878-79
The event noted for this winter on both calendars is the killing of
Ä´to-t'aíñ, "White-cowbird," the man to whom Set-t'aiñte had given his
medicine lance five years before, thus resigning his chieftanship to him
(see summer 1874). On the Set-t'an calendar it is indicated by a human
figure painted red and with the red headdress, both characteristic of
Set-t'aiñte, above the winter mark, and with the medicine lance or
_zébat_ in front. On the Anko calendar it is indicated by the figure of
the arrow-lance below the winter mark. By a curious coincidence
Set-t'aiñte himself committed suicide in a Texas prison about the same
time.
[Illustration: FIG. 165--Winter 1878-79--Ä´to-t'aíñ killed.]
Ä´to-t'aíñ was the brother of the chief Sun-boy, and on account of his
relationship and the dignity conferred upon him by Set-t'aiñte,
if not for his personal merits, was a prominent man in the tribe.
On account of having this lance he was also known as Zébä-dó-k`ía,
"Man-who-has-the-arrows," i. e., "Arrowman." He was killed by Texans
while with a party who had gone, by permission of the agent and
accompanied by an escort of troops, to hunt buffalo on upper Red river
in what is now Greer county, Oklahoma; the Texans shot him through the
body and both arms, scalped him, and cut off a finger upon which was a
ring. The hunt occurred in the winter season, but the buffalo were now
so nearly exterminated that it was practically a failure and the
Indians suffered much in consequence. The killing with its sequel is
thus noted in the official report:
Captain Nolan, commanding the company of troops who were escorting
the Indians while on the hunt, had, in view of the scarcity of
buffalo, allowed parties, each accompanied by a squad of soldiers,
to go off from the main camp to points where it was said straggling
droves of buffalo could be found. While a Kiowa man was one day a
short distance from the camp of one of these parties and alone he
was run onto by a company of Texas state troops, shot down, killed,
and scalped. A few moments after this grand military feat was
performed the little Indian camp was discovered, and they were just
in the act of covering themselves with additional glory by charging
it and butchering the squaws and pappooses when the squad of
colored troops presented themselves, mounted on the bare backs of
their horses, having had no time to saddle them, and the warlike
band disappeared. Upon the return of the Indians to the agency a
request was made that the Texans who murdered the Kiowa should be
arrested and punished by the authorities, expressing at the same
time no intention of avenging his death themselves. It seems that
after waiting some time and concluding that nothing could or would
be done by the authorities, a party of young Kiowas, headed by the
brother of the murdered man, quietly left their different camps,
dashed hurriedly across the line into Texas, killed and scalped a
white man they met in the road, and returned as secretly to their
camps, apparently feeling that they had avenged the death of their
brother and friend by this taking of one scalp.
A party of troops was sent after this avenging party immediately on
learning of this last killing, but so quietly had they proceeded that no
trace of them could be found or any definite information procured on
which to base measures for their punishment. The white man killed was
named Earle, and the agent expresses his belief that if proper
satisfaction had been made in the first place by punishing the murderers
of the Kiowa or making presents to his family according to the Indian
custom, the avenging party would not have entered Texas on their deadly
mission (_Report, 99_).
[Illustration: FIG. 166--Summer 1879--Horse-eating sun dance; Boy shot.]
SUMMER 1879
_Tséñ-píä K`ádó_, "Horse-eating sun dance." It is indicated on the
Set-t'an calendar by the figure of a horse's head above the medicine
lodge. This dance was held on Elm fork of Red river, and was so called
because the buffalo had now become so scarce that the Kiowa, who had
gone on their regular hunt the preceding winter, had found so few that
they were obliged to kill and eat their ponies during the summer to save
themselves from starving. This may be recorded as the date of the
disappearance of the buffalo from the Kiowa country. Thenceforth the
appearance of even a single animal was a rare event. The official report
says:
In the month of June last a portion of each band was permitted to
go to the western part of the reservation to subsist themselves
awhile on buffalo, deer, etc, as the supplies for the year had been
so nearly expended it was not seen how they could all be fed until
those for the next year were received. But again they failed to
find game sufficient to feed themselves, and the Kiowa, who while
out were engaged in their annual medicine dance, suffered some with
hunger. I think their failures in finding buffalo the past year,
and their consequent suffering while out, will have a good effect
in causing them to abandon their idea of subsisting in this way and
to look to their crops and stock for a support. It is a fact worthy
of note that the reports of the agents show the value of the robes
and furs sold by the Indians now belonging to the Kiowa, Comanche,
and Wichita agency for the year 1876 amounted to $70,400; for 1877,
$64,500; for 1878, $26,375; while in 1879 only $5,068 was received,
showing that buffalo hunting is not a thing of profit as it once
was; and, besides, the most serious drawback to the Indians is the
lack of the buffalo meat which at one time helped to subsist them,
and which, added to the insufficient rations furnished by the
government, kept them partly comfortable. As that supply is cut
off, the Indian must go to work and help himself or remain hungry
on the rations furnished (_Report, 100_).
The Anko calendar records the fact that while the Kiowa were driving
away their issue of beef cattle some mischievous boys, shooting at the
cattle with their arrows, accidentally shot another boy in the shoulder,
but not fatally. In giving this explanation it was evident that Anko did
not want to mention the boy's name, probably because he was now dead.
[Illustration: FIG. 167--Winter 1879-80--Eye-triumph winter.]
WINTER 1879-80