Societies of the Kiowas

The book offers a vivid portrait of the Kiowa people as seen through the eyes of a 1915 field study. The author worked closely with Andres Martinez, a man who grew up within the tribe after being captured as a child, using his memories and language skills to interview full‑blood Kiowa elders. Their conversations illuminate the tribe’s military patrols, buffalo‑hunting protocols, and the everyday enforcement of order in camp.

In the core of the work the author details the structure of six men’s societies and two women’s societies, explaining how each group— from the youthful Rabbits to the elite Black Feet— contributes to the tribe’s social fabric. He shows that these societies were not a strict hierarchy but flexible associations shaped by personal merit and circumstance. Listeners gain a clear sense of the Kiowa’s communal values, ceremonial roles, and the way tradition adapted to changing pressures on the Plains.