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April 2000 Issue
The Geographical Review
April 2000, Vol. 90 (2), pp. 155-176
THE KIOWA HOMELAND IN OKLAHOMA
STEVEN M. SCHNELL
Keywords: American Indians, homeland, Kiowa, Native Americans, Oklahoma, sense of place.
Kiowa Indians derive their common identity from deep roots in southwestern Oklahoma, an area they call their "homeland."On this landscape are recognized and distinctive marks, both visible and invisible: The Kiowa have blanketed it with their significant stories. The region is important as a psychological anchor in the Kiowa past and as a core for their modern identity as a distinct people. In this article I explore Kiowa stories, ideas, and feelings about specific landmarks of the homeland. I also step back to discuss how the homeland generates attachments that are not attributable to individual elements within it.