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 event of the summer was the killing of P'ódalä´ñte (abbreviated
_P'olä´ñte_], "Coming-snake," in Greer county, Oklahoma. He was shot by
a young white man in self-defense, as it was claimed, while endeavoring
to recover a horse which he said had been stolen from him; he had sent a
boy after the animal, but the holders had refused to give it up except
to the owner. P'ódalä´ñte himself then went after it and a dispute
followed, resulting in his death. It is said he was shot as he was
loosening his gun from its scabbard at the saddle. The Kiowa claim not
to know the particulars, as no other Indian was with him at the time,
but say that he was notoriously quarrelsome and rough in his manner. The
shooting occurred opposite the mouth of Elk creek. It is indicated on
the Set-t'an calendar by means of a human figure, with blood flowing
from a wound in the side, standing above the square inclosure, with a
snake behind it to show the name. Anko records it for the following
winter, q.v.
The Anko calendar records for this summer a visit made by the Kiowa
to the Cheyenne, indicated in the usual place for the medicine lodge by
the figure of a tipi (i. e., camp), connected with which is a line with
several cross marks, intended as a pictorial presentment of the tribal
sign for "Cheyenne," made by drawing the right index finger several
times across the left.
WINTER 1891-92
The Anko calendar records here the killing of P'ódalä´ñte, as just
described for the preceding summer, the discrepancy arising perhaps from
the fact that it occurred after the middle of summer. It is indicated
below the winter mark by means of the figure of a man, with a bullet
wound in his side, lying in a coffin or grave, and with a snake above
the winter mark to show his name.
The Set-t'an calendar records the enlistment of the Indian troop at Fort
Sill in the spring and summer of 1891. It was composed chiefly of Kiowa,
and was organized as troop L of the Seventh cavalry, under command of
Lieutenant (now Captain) H. L. Scott. It is indicated by the figure of a
soldier above the winter mark.
[Illustration: FIG. 191--Winter 1891-92--Soldiers enlisted; P'ódalä´ñte
killed.]
SUMMER 1892
The event of this summer was the measles epidemic. The Set-t'an calendar
indicates it by means of a human figure covered with red spots, and
beside it the leafy tree and square inclosure to show that it occurred
in the summer, when there was no dance and everybody remained at home.
The Anko calendar has a similar red-spotted figure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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