Learning Kiowa Together

Have you been wondering how to say certain things in Kiowa? Do you want more resources to translate from English to Kiowa? Do you have children, grandchildren or students that you’d like to teach our Kiowa language to?

Building on the success of the Kiowa language revitalization efforts that have come before us, we are offering these free virtual opportunities, open to anyone interested in learning Kiowa and participating in Kiowa language revitalization at a grassroots-level.

LearnKiowa.org is a community-based, grassroots website launched by the Post Family and led by Dr. Redbird-Post with the goal of providing Kiowa language learners, interested Kiowa parents, and teachers of Kiowa children and students of all ages with an online archive of Kiowa language teaching and learning materials arranged by age group. Made possible by the First Nations Development Institute and the 2022 Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship.

Goal: Develop a Kiowa Theory of Learning

Expected Outcomes:

  • Empower Kiowa families and teachers to support Kiowa children’s growth and development in the Kiowa way.

  • Identify, revitalize, and describe the expectations for a Kiowa child as they grow.

  • Research and transcribe the Kiowa Culture Program recordings.

  • Meet with Kiowa Elders on stories and children’s protocols, traditions, and expectations.

  • Convene Kiowa educational partners to discuss

Getting Started

Day own day aym tsan! Aym hay bay! Hi, welcome to LearnKiowa.org!

If you are interested in getting started in your journey to learn our Kiowa language, here are some helpful resources that will be useful as you begin your learning:

First, we have the Kiowa-English Student Glossary, gáuidòᵰ:gyà-t’áukáuidóñ:gyá, updated yearly, organized by Gáuidòñ:gyà màutêmk’ì (Dane Poolaw), based on the notecards, word lists, stories, and correspondence of the late Yísàum (Dr. Parker Paul Mckenzie), supplemented by works of the late Reverend David Paddlety, the late Sá:má (Alecia Keahbone Gonzales), the late Gyóiñdébá (Carole Botone-Willis), Pánt’aiñdé (Dr. Gus Palmer Jr.), T’áiñk’opmá: (Dr. Laurel J. Watkins) and Dr. William C. Meadows. Additional Entries also provided by the late Dáu:tó:ya (Ernest Iron Toppah), Dàu:tsáigyàán:t’á:gyámà (Dorothy Whitehorse-Delaune), Píthótgyámà (Delores Harragarra), Ts’ógútk’ómà (Martha Nell Kauley-Poolaw), the late Ko:ma (Helen Eckiwaudah) & the late Ésègwìdà: (Juanita Daugomah-Ahtone).

Next, we have the University of Oklahoma Kiowa Language Course Packet, called hét bát gáuidòᵰ:zànyì! (Let’s speak Kiowa!). This was developed for use in the Kiowa Language courses at the University of Oklahoma by the faculty including, Gáuidòñ:gyà màutêmk’ì (Dane Poolaw), the late Gyóiñdébá (Carole Botone-Willis), and Ts’ógútk’ómà (Martha Nell Kauley-Poolaw).

Recent Sessions

Recent Lessons