Origins and Migration: The People of the Southern Plains The Kiowa, or Ǥáuigú as they call themselves—meaning “Principal People”—possess a history etched in resilience and adaptation. Their story isn’t one confined to a single geographic location but rather a testament to movement and transformation across the vast landscapes of North America. Emerging from western Montana around 1700, their southward migration led them through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado before settling into the Southern Plains by the early 19th century. This journey wasn’t merely physical; it was a cultural evolution s…