41 Facts About Kicking Bird

Kicking Bird was a Kiowa, though his grandfather had been a Crow captive who was adopted by the Kiowa.

Kicking Bird enjoyed close relationships with whites, most notably the Quaker teacher Thomas Battey and Indian Agent James M Haworth.

Kicking Bird would become the most prominent peace chief of the Kiowas, following the lead of a previous head chief, Dohasan.

Kicking Bird was diplomatically active and signed the Little Arkansas Treaty of 1865 and the Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867 and was instrumental in moving his people to reservations.

Kicking Bird fought against the Utes of Colorado, Pawnees of Nebraska, Navajos of New Mexico, and in raids along the Santa Fe Trail where he may have been shot in 1864.

Kicking Bird first emerged into public consciousness when he signed the Little Arkansas Treaty in 1865.

Kicking Bird was especially active in returning white captives as evidence of good intentions while the terms of the Little Arkansas Treaty were being discussed.

Kicking Bird recognized that most of the bad feelings in his tribe stemmed from the annuity situation.

Indian-white friction resurfaced following the Little Arkansas Treaty, and Kicking Bird was influential in maintaining peace, proving himself receptive to both Indian and white demands.

Alongside older and wiser chiefs like Black Kettle and Ten Bears, Kicking Bird realized the futility of militant opposition.

Kicking Bird was one of the first signatories of the Treaty of Medicine Lodge; Satanta too signed the treaty, but Guipago refused to do it.

In 1869, Kicking Bird helped to obtain the release of Guipago and Satanta from army captivity after promising good behavior on their part.

Kicking Bird arrived on the scene and defused the situation.

Kicking Bird received intense criticism for his close relationships with white people and his renunciation of hunting and advocation of farming.

The ranks of warring chiefs Satanta and Guipago swelled in comparison and Kicking Bird lost much tribal support.

Kicking Bird spoke strongly against this and urged that the tribes cultivate friendly relations with the whites and continue to live on reservations.

Kicking Bird's victory marked the end of his military career and he expressed regret that tribal divisions forced his hand in the battle.

Kicking Bird would spend the rest of his life cultivating peace with whites.

Kicking Bird was clearly the foremost advocate for an accommodation with the United States, but was opposed by Satanta, Guipago, Ado-ete, Maman-ti, and Tsen-tainte.

Kicking Bird represented the Kiowa peace-faction in numerous intertribal meetings and promised that the Kiowa would live respectfully on the land, but again stressed that without the necessary annuities from the government, his people were forced to stray from the reservations to survive.

Kicking Bird knows your name and has written about you.

Kicking Bird participated in numerous assemblies as a representative of the Kiowa alongside Guipago, and promised to restore peace among the Kiowa.

Kicking Bird demonstrated his good intentions by returning white prisoners to the Wichita agency and discouraging his people from taking the war path.

However, with tensions still soaring after the arrest of Satanta, Big Tree, and Satank, Kicking Bird was able to achieve little success.

Kicking Bird engaged in numerous activities to placate Texas governor Edmund J Davis, who was strongly opposed to releasing Satanta and Big Tree.

In some instances, Kicking Bird threatened not only his own warriors but war parties from other tribes as well in order to stop the raiding.

Guipago, who had walked the peace path, was now indisposed, and with Satanta removed from his position as war chief, which he had lost while imprisoned, Kicking Bird was supported by the US authorities as head chief of the Kiowas.

Kicking Bird was successful in keeping his followers on the reservation, but Guipago's scorn towards the "road of peace" and attitude towards that of war severely undermined Kicking Bird's efforts at pacification.

Kicking Bird worked earnestly to keep his people unified and avoid conflict, but both of his goals proved elusive.

True to his word, Kicking Bird led three-fourths of the Kiowa back to their reservation at Fort Sill, which had become a city of refuge for his people.

Meanwhile, Indian hostilities continued and Kicking Bird actively sought to pacify the raiding Kiowas and protect them from punishment.

Kicking Bird succeeded in bringing six chiefs and 77 tribespeople, who surrendered their arms, to the reservation.

When Satanta stepped down as war chief in late 1874, to be arrested immediately thereafter, and Guipago surrendered early the next year, Kicking Bird became the only remaining Kiowa chief with a sizable following.

When it was decided that some of the hostile Kiowa would be sent to Florida for incarceration at Fort Marion, Kicking Bird was required to choose which of his tribesmen would go.

Kicking Bird reluctantly chose Guipago, Maman-ti, Tsen-tainte, and 23 other Kiowas, while Satanta was sent back to Huntsville.

Kicking Bird was the foremost Kiowa advocate for education and enjoyed a close relationship with Quaker teacher Thomas C Battey.

On May 3,1875, while at Fort Sill, Kicking Bird died suddenly after drinking a cup of coffee.

Around 40 years old, Kicking Bird received a Christian burial at Fort Sill, where his unmarked grave remains.

Kicking Bird is buried alongside many notable Kiowa and Comanche leaders: Satank, Satanta, Stumbling Bear, Big Bow, Hunting Horse, and Quanah Parker.

The most popular story maintains that Kicking Bird was poisoned by a vindictive tribesman.

Kicking Bird had a daughter, Topen, as well as five other children, with his first wife, who died in 1872.