Kiowa music
Encyclopedia
Kiowa music is the traditional and contemporary music of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma. The Kiowa
are a federally recognized tribe, meaning they have a functioning government-to-government relationship with the United States Government.
is strongly focused on dancing
, such as the Sun Dance
(k'aw-tow). Their sun dance was adopted while they were migrating south in what is now the state of Montana
. Mock sham battles, purifying sweat baths, erecting the center cottonwood pole, building the arbor, bringing the brush in, spreading sand on the ground, building the sacred Taime' altar, unveiling the Taime' by the Taime' keeper, distribution of shields, ritual body painting, leading in the different pledge makers/dancers by their clans accompanied by their painters, prayer, speeches, dancing, eagle whistle blowing, visions and feasting by the pledge makers'/dancers' families were all traditional elements integral to the four-day k'aw-tow. Modern songs called Brush Dance songs and Buffalo Dance songs commemorate the now outlawed Kiowa Sun Dance.
Kiowa music, one of the most heavily recorded tribes, is part of the larger Southern Plains Indian music genre. The Kiowa adapted their flag song from the Cheyenne
, their memorial song and the dance bustle in the O-Ho-Mah Lodge warrior society from the Omaha tribe. The modern gourd dance
adheres to Kiowa protocol and tradition with the majority of songs composed and/or handed down from Kiowa song makers. The Smithsonian Institution
made recordings during the 1930s, '40s, and '50s that are close to 19th century music, while Indian House Records and Canyon Records
began commercial recording in the '60s and '70s and Soundchief began recording in the '40s. Early 20th Century Kiowa recordings are housed in the Library of Congress
's Archive of Folk Culture, Indiana University
American Indian Studies Research Institute, The Oklahoma Historical Society
's Oklahoma History Center
, and the Kiowa Tribal Museum. Many Kiowa elders also retain a vast knowledge of traditional songs. New Kiowa songs continue to be composed each year for contemporary events, organizations and individuals.
Much of Kiowa music is related to the warrior societies of the 20th century. Society songs of the 19th century have been integrated into existing music. The Kiowas significant contributions to world music
include the maintenance of traditions such as the Black Leggings Society, the Oh-Ho-Mah Lodge, the Kiowa Gourd Clan, Peyote song
s, War Journey songs, also known as 49 songs, war mother songs, victory or scalp dance songs, handgame
songs and hymns.
(ca. 1905/1910–1954) and Jack Hokeah
(ca. 1900/2-1969) were traditional singers on the powwow
circuit, and Stephen Mopope
(1898-1974) was an accomplished flute-player. Cornel Pewewardy (flautist Comanche/Kiowa) is a leading performer of Kiowa/Southern Plains music, including Kiowa Christian hymn
s which include prominent glissando
s. Contemporary Kiowa musicians include Kiowa-Comanche flutist Tom Mauchahty-Ware
and Terry Tsotigh, flutist. Both Tom and Terry have their own bands and perform nationally.
Prominent contemporary powwow drums led by Kiowa Singers include: The Cozad Singers
, Bad Medicine Singers, Zotigh Singers, and Thunder Hill Singers. All four drum groups have won the prestigious Gathering of Nations
Southern Challenge.
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
are a federally recognized tribe, meaning they have a functioning government-to-government relationship with the United States Government.
Development and genres
Kiowa traditional musicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
is strongly focused on dancing
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, such as the Sun Dance
Sun Dance
The Sun Dance is a religious ceremony practiced by a number of Native American and First Nations peoples, primarily those of the Plains Nations. Each tribe has its own distinct practices and ceremonial protocols...
(k'aw-tow). Their sun dance was adopted while they were migrating south in what is now the state of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. Mock sham battles, purifying sweat baths, erecting the center cottonwood pole, building the arbor, bringing the brush in, spreading sand on the ground, building the sacred Taime' altar, unveiling the Taime' by the Taime' keeper, distribution of shields, ritual body painting, leading in the different pledge makers/dancers by their clans accompanied by their painters, prayer, speeches, dancing, eagle whistle blowing, visions and feasting by the pledge makers'/dancers' families were all traditional elements integral to the four-day k'aw-tow. Modern songs called Brush Dance songs and Buffalo Dance songs commemorate the now outlawed Kiowa Sun Dance.
Kiowa music, one of the most heavily recorded tribes, is part of the larger Southern Plains Indian music genre. The Kiowa adapted their flag song from the Cheyenne
Cheyenne
Cheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
, their memorial song and the dance bustle in the O-Ho-Mah Lodge warrior society from the Omaha tribe. The modern gourd dance
Gourd Dance
The Gourd Dance is a type of Native American celebration dance and ceremony. It is believed that the dance originated with the Kiowa tribe. Gourd dances are often held to coincide with a pow-wow, although the Gourd Dance has its own unique dance and history...
adheres to Kiowa protocol and tradition with the majority of songs composed and/or handed down from Kiowa song makers. The Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
made recordings during the 1930s, '40s, and '50s that are close to 19th century music, while Indian House Records and Canyon Records
Canyon Records
Canyon Records of Phoenix, Arizona has produced and distributed Native American music for 56 years. Canyon was founded in 1951 by Ray and Mary Boley, who had opened the first recording studio in Phoenix, Arizona Recording Productions, in 1948...
began commercial recording in the '60s and '70s and Soundchief began recording in the '40s. Early 20th Century Kiowa recordings are housed in the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
's Archive of Folk Culture, Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
American Indian Studies Research Institute, The Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma Historical Society
The Oklahoma Historical Society is an agency of the government of Oklahoma dedicated to promotion and preservation of Oklahoma's history and its people by collecting, interpreting, and disseminating knowledge and artifacts of Oklahoma....
's Oklahoma History Center
Oklahoma History Center
The Oklahoma History Center is the history museum of the State of Oklahoma. Located across the street from the Governor's mansion at 2401 N. Laird Avenue in Oklahoma City, the museum opened in 2005 and is operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society...
, and the Kiowa Tribal Museum. Many Kiowa elders also retain a vast knowledge of traditional songs. New Kiowa songs continue to be composed each year for contemporary events, organizations and individuals.
Much of Kiowa music is related to the warrior societies of the 20th century. Society songs of the 19th century have been integrated into existing music. The Kiowas significant contributions to world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
include the maintenance of traditions such as the Black Leggings Society, the Oh-Ho-Mah Lodge, the Kiowa Gourd Clan, Peyote song
Peyote song
Peyote songs are a form of Native American music, now most often performed as part of the Native American Church. They are typically accompanied by a rattle and water drum, and are used in a ceremonial aspect during the sacramental taking of peyote....
s, War Journey songs, also known as 49 songs, war mother songs, victory or scalp dance songs, handgame
Handgame
Handgame, also known as stickgame, is a Native American guessing game.-Rules:Stickgame is played with two pairs of 'bones', each pair consisting of one plain and one striped bone. Typically ten sticks are used as counters. The teams agree beforehand which bones they will be guessing - the plain...
songs and hymns.
Kiowa singers and musicians
Spencer AsahSpencer Asah
Spencer Asah was a Kiowa painter, one of the Kiowa Five, from Oklahoma.-Early life:Spencer Asah was born around 1905 in Carnegie, Oklahoma. His Kiowa name was Lallo . His father was a buffalo medicine man. His father provided Asah extensive cultural information that he later used in his art.Asah...
(ca. 1905/1910–1954) and Jack Hokeah
Jack Hokeah
Jack Hokeah was a Kiowa painter, one of the Kiowa Five, from Oklahoma.-Early life:Jack Hokeah was born around 1900 or 1902 in western Oklahoma. He was orphaned at a very young age and raised by his grandmother. His grandfather was the Kiowa warrior, White Horse.Hokeah attend St...
(ca. 1900/2-1969) were traditional singers on the powwow
PowWow
PowWow is a wireless sensor network mote developed by the Cairn team of IRISA/INRIA. The platform is currently based on IEEE 802.15.4 standard radio transceiver and on an MSP430 microprocessor...
circuit, and Stephen Mopope
Stephen Mopope
Stephen Mopope was a Kiowa painter, dancer, and flute player of Spanish descent, from Oklahoma. He was the most prolific member of the Kiowa Five-Early life:...
(1898-1974) was an accomplished flute-player. Cornel Pewewardy (flautist Comanche/Kiowa) is a leading performer of Kiowa/Southern Plains music, including Kiowa Christian hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s which include prominent glissando
Glissando
In music, a glissando is a glide from one pitch to another. It is an Italianized musical term derived from the French glisser, to glide. In some contexts it is distinguished from the continuous portamento...
s. Contemporary Kiowa musicians include Kiowa-Comanche flutist Tom Mauchahty-Ware
Tom Mauchahty-Ware
Tom Mauchahty-Ware is a Kiowa-Comanche musician. He is known for his work playing the Native American flute, and has been a successful Indian dancer, and has sung in a popular blues band. He is also a skilled traditional artist: painting, sculpting, making flutes, bead working, and feather working...
and Terry Tsotigh, flutist. Both Tom and Terry have their own bands and perform nationally.
Prominent contemporary powwow drums led by Kiowa Singers include: The Cozad Singers
Cozad Singers
The Cozad Singers are a Kiowa drum group from Anadarko, Oklahoma. The group was founded by Leonard Cozad, Sr. in the 1930s, and consists of Leonard, his sons, grandsons, and other members of the family. Cozad, as they are commonly known, are southern style pow-wow and gourd drum, and have...
, Bad Medicine Singers, Zotigh Singers, and Thunder Hill Singers. All four drum groups have won the prestigious Gathering of Nations
Gathering of Nations
The Gathering of Nations is one of the largest Pow-wows in the United States. It is held annually the fourth weekend in April, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Over 500 tribes from around the United States and Canada travel to Albuquerque to participate...
Southern Challenge.