POPULATION
It is always difficult to estimate the population of a roving tribe, and almost invariably first reports are greatly exaggerated. This is particularly true of the Kiowa, whose restless disposition and inveterate habit of raiding made them equally at home anywhere along a frontier of a thousand miles. Excluding some extravagant early estimates, the statements of the most competent observers, and the official reports since they have been put upon the reservation, all indicate that the combined population of the confederated Kiowa and Apache was never much more than 1,600, or 1,800 at the greatest, of whom the Apache numbered nearly one-fourth. No really accurate count was ever made until after their final subjugation in 1875, and it is worth noting that their numbers, which had been reported at 2,774 and 2,302 in the preceding two years, at once fell to 1,414, and remained nearly stationary at that figure until the epidemic of 1892. Battey's estimate in 1873 (in which he probably means to include the Apache) of 1,600 to 1,650 is probably very nearly correct. In 1892 the Kiowa numbered 1,014 and the Apache 241, a total of 1,255, being a decrease from 1,476 in the previous year in consequence of the epidemic of measles. In November, 1896, they numbered: Kiowa 1,065, Apache 208, a total of 1,273. The associated Comanche at the same time numbered 1,545. In each of these tribes there is a large captive element of which, no separate account is taken, but investigation would probably show that at least one-fourth of the whole number have more or less of captive blood. The captives are chiefly Mexicans and Mexican Indians, with Indians of other tribes, and several whites taken from Texas when children, including one old man who still remembers having gone to school in Germany and having crossed the ocean with his parents (see Pope in Pacific, 2).
Some of the estimates are based on the number of tipis or warriors, an uncertain ratio, which varies greatly in different tribes. With the Kiowa it may be assumed to equal 2 warriors and 6 or 7 souls to a tipi. Below are given the various estimates and enumerations, beginning with the earliest, that of Lewis and Clark in 1805. The estimates of 1807, 1810, 1841—1845, and perhaps of 1850 probably include the Apache.
- 1805—Kiowa and Wetepahatoe, 70 tipis, 200 warriors, 700 souls (Lewis and Clark, 5).
- 1810—1,000 warriors, i. e., about 3,000 souls (Pike, Expedition, 1810).
- 1814—Wate-pana-toe and Ryuwa, 200 warriors, 900 souls (Brackenridge, Views of Louisiana, 85, 1814).
- 1820—Wettaphato, 1,000 souls, 900 souls (Morse, 3).
- 1828—140 families (i. e., about 950 souls?) (Spanish, doc. of 1828, in Societa Geog. Mex., 265, 1870).
- 1829—Keawas, 1,000 souls (Porter, in Schoolcraft, Ind. Tribes, III, 596, 1853).
- 1836—Kioways, 1,800 (estimate in Schoolcraft, III, 611).
- 1841—45—1,800 souls (Indian Reports for these years; for the same period the Comanche are estimated at 19,200).
- 1846—400 tipis, 2,000 souls (Bent, in Rept., 1846).
- 1849—300 warriors, 1,500 souls, a "careful estimate" (Neighbors, Report, 1849; he estimates the Comanche at 4,000 warriors and 20,000 souls).
- 1850—Kayuguas, 2,000 souls, not to exceed (War, 6).
- 1851—1,500 souls, probably not more than (Pacific, 3).
- 1854—2,800 souls (Agent Whitfield, Report, 1855; in the same report we find another agent estimating the Kiowa and Comanche at 20,000 in 1852).
- 1865—1,800 (Report, 1865); 1,500 to 1,700 souls, about 280 tipis, without Apache (Agent Leavenworth, in Report on Condition of Indian Tribes, 37, 1867).
- 1866—Kiowa and Comanche, without Apache, 2,800 (Report, 1866).
- 1867—280 tipis, 1,680 souls, without Apache (estimate in report of Medicine Lodge treaty, Indian Miscellany).
- 1867—68—Kiowa and Comanche, without Apache, 4,000 (Report, 1867 and 1868). The peace commission at the same time, 1867, estimates these two tribes at 14,800.
- 1869—70—1,896 (Reports for 1869 and 1870).
- 1871—1,776 (Report).
- 1872—1,200; 1,930 (Report).
- 1873—2,000 (Report); 1,600 to 1,650 at 6 to a tipi (Battey, 17).
- 1874—1,700 (Report; all following are from the official reports).
- 1875—1,070.
- 1876—1,090.
- 1877—same.
- 1878—1,120.
- 1879—1,138.
- 1880—1,139.
- 1881—1,145.
- 1882—1,176.
- 1883—1,167.
- 1884—1,152.
- 1885—1,169.
- 1886—1,164.
- 1887—1,179.
- 1888—1,121.
- 1889—1,142, "a very careful census."
- 1890—1,140.
- 1891—1,151.
- 1892—1,014 (decrease from epidemic).
- 1893—1,017.
- 1894—same; taken from preceding.
- 1895—1,037.
- 1896—1,065.
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY— SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. LXVI
PHOTO BY HILLERS, 1894.
ANDRES MARTINEZ ("ÄN'DALI").