Kiowa Military Society (The Civilization of the American Indian Series) (Volume 263)

Review
“William C. Meadows has contributed greatly to our understanding of Kiowa military organizations and, by extension, the warrior ideal of the Plains Indians as a whole. I know of no other study that is as meticulously researched, sharply perceived, and clearly written. Here is a monumental work, eminently accessible and rewarding, a landmark in the ethnography and history of the Great Plains.”—N. Scott Momaday, author of Three Plays: The Indolent Boys, Children of the Sun, and The Moon in Two Windows
Warrior culture has long been an important facet of Plains Indian life. For Kiowa Indians, military societies have special significance. They serve not only to honor veterans and celebrate and publicize martial achievements but also to foster strong role models for younger tribal members. To this day, these societies serve to maintain traditional Kiowa values, culture, and ethnic identity.
Previous scholarship has offered only glimpses of Kiowa military societies. William C. Meadows now provides a detailed account of the ritual structures, ceremonial composition, and historical development of each society: Rabbits, Mountain Sheep, Horses Headdresses, Black Legs, Skunkberry /Unafraid of Death, Scout Dogs, Kiowa Bone Strikers, and Omaha, as well as past and present women’s groups.
Two dozen illustrations depict personages and ceremonies, and an appendix provides membership rosters from the late 1800s.
The most comprehensive description ever published on Kiowa military societies, this work is unmatched by previous studies in its level of detail and depth of scholarship. It demonstrates the evolution of these groups within the larger context of American Indian history and anthropology, while documenting and preserving tribal traditions.