Examining the place names, geographical knowledge, and cultural associations of the Kiowa from the earliest recorded sources to the present, Kiowa Ethnogeography is the most in-depth study of its kind in the realm of Plains Indian tribal analysis. Linking geography to political and social changes, William Meadows applies a chronological approach that demonstrates a cultural evolution within the Kiowa community.
Preserved in both linguistic and cartographic forms, the concepts of place, homeland, intertribal sharing of land, religious practice, and other aspects of Kiowa life are clarified in detail. Native religious relationships to land (termed "geosacred" by the author) are carefully documented as well. Meadows also provides analysis of the only known extant Kiowa map of Black Goose, its unique pictographic place labels, and its relationship to reservation-era land policies. Additional coverage of rivers, lakes, and military forts makes this a remarkably comprehensive and illuminating guide.
- Pronunciation Guide
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Chapter 1. Native American Ethnogeography and Research
- Chapter 2. Kiowa Physical and Cultural Geography
- Chapter 3. The Kiowa Homeland
- Chapter 4. Black Goose's Map of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache Reservation in Oklahoma Territory
- Chapter 5. Contemporary Kiowa Ethnogeography
- Appendix A. Kiowa Geography and Weather Terms
- Appendix B. Kiowa Land-Based Place Names
- Mountains
- Hills and Ridges
- Bluffs, Concavities, and Escarpments
- Other Landforms
- More Recent Anglo Locales
- Appendix C. Kiowa Water-Based Place Names and Astrological Place Names
- Streams
- Springs, Ponds, and Lakes
- Stream Crossings
- Astrological Place Names
- Appendix D. Modern Place Names Related to the Kiowa
- Appendix E. Names of Kiowa Calendar Entries 1833-1892
- Appendix F. Statistical Analysis of Kiowa Place Names
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index