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The Kiowa reservation is in Oklahoma. There are more
than 12,000 members of the tribe, many of whom live in Oklahoma and
other areas of the Southwestern United States. The official logo
of the Kiowa Tribe shows a Kiowa Warrior of the Plains. The symbolism
includes ten eagle feathers which represent the ten Kiowa Medicine
Bundles deriving power from the Half Boy, "Tahlee." The lightning bolt
on the front left leg of the horse suggests the voice of thunder heard
each Spring and is represented on the Great Drum of the Ohoma Society as
being held in the eagle talons. The bone breast plate and red cape
(Spanish Officer coat), the circular blue sky of the Great Plains and
the blood red band paint are part of the Koitsenko Warrior tradition.
The shield depicts the sacred Rainy Mountain in Oklahoma, The sacred
Kiowa burial ground at the end of the Great Tribal Journey. The
recurring circular patterns represent either the Sun or the Moon, both
important in the Kiowa Ceremonial dance rituals of the Skaw-Tow
(Sundance), the Feather (Ghost) Dance and the Peyote (Native American
Church) Service.
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