Calendar history of the Kiowa Indians. (1898 N 17 / 1895-1896 (pages 129-444))Mooney, James
History
Calendar history of the Kiowa Indians. (1898 N 17 / 1895-1896 (pages 129-444))
Mooney, James
Kiowa Indians; Kiowa language -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.
The encounter is thus noted by a contemporary author:
During the previous summer [1868] a war party of Ute left their
haunts in New Mexico, and after marching on foot a distance of over
500 miles fell upon a band of Kiowa, completely routed them,
captured a number of ponies, took many scalps, and, more calamitous
than all, got possession of the "medicine" of the band. As might be
inferred, the Kiowa had a superstitious dread of the very name Ute
(_Keim, 2_).
The action and the grief of the Kiowa over the loss of their medicine
are further described by a writer in a contemporary Kansas newspaper,
who evidently speaks with exact knowledge:
About the 10th of July [1868] the Kiowa had a battle with the Ute,
in which the chief Heap-of-Bears and seven other Kiowa braves were
killed. Heap-of-Bears had on his person the medicine of the Kiowa,
which was captured by the Ute, who still retain it. This medicine
consists of an image about 18 inches in length, carved to represent
a human face, and covered with the down and feathers of the eagle
and other birds and swathed in wrappers of different materials of
value. Although I have been conversant with Indian habits and
customs for a long time, I was surprised to find the value these
people attach to this medicine. They begged and implored Colonel
Murphy to recover it for them, and promised to pay the Ute as many
horses as they wanted, and also to make a permanent and lasting
peace, not only with the Ute, but also to refrain from further
depredations on the Texas border, if this should be restored.
Colonel Murphy promised to endeavor to recover it, but I think his
success in the matter will be doubtful, as the Ute also attach
great importance to their capture, believing that while they retain
it the Kiowa will be powerless to do them harm (_Abbott, 1_).
[Illustration: FIG. 144--Winter 1868-69--Tän-gúădal killed.]
WTNTER 1868-69
_Tän-gúădal Ehótal-de Sai_, "Winter that Tän-gúădal was killed." _Tän_
is the name of a particular variety of headdress, also of an edible root
resembling a turnip; _gúădal_ signifies red. Shortly after the removal
to the Washita, a small raiding party went to Texas. In an encounter
with a white man and boy both parties fired simultaneously and
Tän-gúădal was killed. Although a young man, he was a noted warrior and
the hereditary owner of a medicine lance or _zebat_, shaped and adorned
like an arrow. The event is indicated on the Set-t'an calendar by the
figure, above the winter mark, of a man holding the arrow lance. On the
Anko calendar it is indicated by the rude figure of the medicine lance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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