Kiowa

The Kiowa are a people of the Great Plains whose history encompasses a long migration from the north to the southern plains. Bison hunting, horses and travel across open grasslands became central to their way of life. Their close allies included the Plains Apache, a distinct people who shared many of their journeys and gatherings.

By the late eighteenth century Kiowa communities were moving south toward the Arkansas River, where they encountered the Comanche. Around 1790 the two peoples made peace and formed a lasting alliance, agreeing to share territory and hunting grounds. Kiowa and Comanche hunted and travelled together, traded with neighbouring peoples and Spanish settlements, and defended their position on the plains. Their alliance reshaped relations with Apache and other communities across the region.