LXVIIl BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



men, tliej^ ranged in parties far over adjacent territory; brought 

 into contact witli a wide range of climatal conditions and the 

 long series of natural conditions depending on climate, the 

 tribe was led in the direction of easier livelihood; and thus 

 the body slowly mio-vated first from the mountains to the foot- 

 hills and plains, and then southward over the open plains until 

 the movement was ai'rested by encroaching settlement, when 

 they occupied the country drained by the Platte and neigh- 

 boring' rivers. Meantime the ro^^no■ habit continued, "-ainino- 

 strength tlu-ough the acquisition of the horse, and the hunting 

 parties frequently invaded and traversed territory claimed by 

 other tribes, so that the liuntsmen became warriors and the 

 hunting expeditions became predatory forays; and about the 

 time of the Caucasian's coming, roving parties of the Kiowa 

 occasionally passed northward well toward Hudson bay, east- 

 ward nearly or quite to the Mississippi, southeastward to the 

 Gulf of Mexico, and southwestward nearly or quite to the 

 Pacific. Naturally these migratory and predatorA' wanderings 

 kept the tribesmen in contact witli an exceptionally extended 

 and varied envii-onment,. both physical and social; and the 

 effects of tlie environmental interactions are revealed in the 

 several distinctive characteristics of the tribe. 



A conspicuous characteristic of the Kiowa is the apparent 

 absence of the clan or g-entile system; for, despite intimate 

 acquaintance with and adoption into the tribe, Mr Mooney was 

 unable to discover unmistakable traces of this commonly 

 prominent feature of primitive organization. Now, on review- 

 ing the tribal customs, it becomes evident that the roving 

 Kiowa Indians enjoyed contact with other tribes and conse- 

 quent acculturation to an exceptional if not iinique degree; 

 sometimes the association was amicable, when ideas and 

 devices were freely interchanged; frequently the association 

 was inimical, when the Kiowa were commonly enriched by 

 the acquisition not only of plunder but of captives, who were 

 subsequently adopted into the tril)e; so that the general effect 

 of the wide association was to extend the intellectual range and 

 differentiate the blood of the Kiowa. Especially important 

 was the habitual adoption of captives, since the effect of adop- 



