Guipago facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Guipago
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| Gui'pago (Lone Wolf) (Alone among the Wolves) | |
Guipago (Lone Wolf), Principal Kiowa Chief of the Kiowa Tribe. Medal was presented to Chief Guipago by President Buchanan. General Sheridan stated that he could not gave this chief any slack
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| Born | ca. 1820 |
| Died | July 1879 (aged 58–59) |
| Resting place | Mount Scott area (Wichita Mountains), Oklahoma |
| Nationality | Kiowa |
| Known for | A chief of the Kiowa Nation, warrior, orator |
| Relatives | Chief Dohasan (Uncle) |
Guipago (Gui-pah-gho, or Lone Wolf [the Elder]) was a very important leader of the Kiowa tribe. He was born around 1820 and passed away in July 1879. Guipago was the last main chief of the Kiowa people. He was also a brave warrior and a great speaker. He was part of the Koitsenko, a special group of Kiowa elite warriors. Guipago also signed an important agreement called the Little Arkansas Treaty in 1865.
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Early Life and Treaties
The Kiowa people were skilled hunters who traveled a lot in the early 1800s. They became friends with the Comanche tribe in 1807. This friendship was made official with a treaty in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
In 1863, Guipago traveled to Washington D.C. with other Kiowa leaders and an Indian agent. They hoped to create new rules that would help the Kiowa people. However, their efforts did not work out as they hoped.
The Little Arkansas Treaty
In 1865, Dohasan, who was the main chief of the united Kiowa, signed the Little Arkansas Treaty. Guipago and other chiefs also signed it. Dohasan did not like this peace treaty. He knew it meant there would be no more buffalo for the Kiowa to hunt. Guipago also understood that the Kiowa people needed buffalo to live.
After this treaty, Guipago and other brave leaders like Satanta (White Bear) and Satank (Sitting Bear) led many raids. They went into Texas, Oklahoma, and even Mexico. Guipago played a big role in opposing the peace plans of another chief named Tene-angopte.
The Medicine Lodge Treaty
On October 21, 1867, Guipago chose not to sign the Medicine Lodge Treaty. This treaty caused the United States to take over a huge amount of land. This land belonged to the Kiowa, Comanche, and Plains Apache tribes. It also included land for the Fort Sill Military Reservation.
The Medicine Lodge Treaty forced the Kiowa to live on a reservation in western Oklahoma. The government then watched over everything the Kiowa did. In 1868, General Philip Sheridan planned to defeat the Plains Indians. So, Colonel George Armstrong Custer moved his troops into the Washita River valley in December 1868.
Guipago's Leadership
In the winter of 1866, Dohasan, the Kiowa leader for over 30 years, passed away. The Kiowa people then chose Guipago to be their new leader. He was picked to speak for them in Washington, D.C.
The Warren Wagon Train Incident
On May 18, 1871, an event known as the "Warren wagon-train" attack happened. Satanta bragged about his part in the raid, along with Satank and Ado-ete. General William Tecumseh Sherman ordered their arrest.
Guipago arrived ready to fight to stop their arrest, but there were too many soldiers. Satank was killed on the way to prison. Satanta and Ado-ete were sent to Huntsville prison in 1871.
Negotiations for Release
Guipago worked hard to get his friends released. He told the U.S. government that he needed to talk with Satanta and Ado-ete first. In September 1872, Guipago was allowed to meet them in St. Louis. Only after this meeting did he agree to go to Washington with other chiefs.
In Washington, Guipago spoke with President Ulysses S. Grant. He got a promise from the Indian Commissioner to release Satanta and Ado-ete. Guipago agreed that the Kiowa would camp near Fort Sill if the two chiefs were returned. He became a hero for getting them released. Satanta and Ado-ete were finally set free in September 1873.
Personal Loss and Continued Resistance
In 1873, Guipago faced a great personal tragedy. His son, Tau-ankia, and his nephew, Guitan, were killed near Fort Clark. They were returning from Mexico after a raid. Tau-ankia was Guipago's only son, and Guitan was his favorite nephew.
The news of their deaths reached the Kiowa camps on January 13, 1874. The tribe was very sad to lose these two young men. In May 1874, Guipago and his brother tried to get their sons' bodies. But soldiers from Fort Concho forced them to leave the bodies behind.
Final Battles and Surrender
After these losses, Guipago became a fierce leader again. He joined Quanah Parker and the Comanche in attacking Anglo buffalo hunters at Adobe Walls. He also fought the Army at the Anadarko Agency in August 1874.
He fought the Texas Rangers and the U.S. Cavalry in other battles. But with the buffalo disappearing, Guipago and his people had to surrender in February 1875.
Death and Legacy
In 1875, after surrendering, Guipago was one of 27 Kiowa leaders sent to Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida. He was kept there until 1879. He got sick with malaria during his time in prison. Guipago was sent home in 1879 and passed away in July of that year. He is buried in a secret spot in the Wichita Mountains near Mount Scott.
Before he died, Guipago passed his name, Lone Wolf, to a younger warrior named Mamay-day-te. This younger Lone Wolf continued to lead the Kiowa people. He resisted the government's control over the reservation. He even led warriors to find the bodies of Guipago's son and nephew.
According to ethnologist James Mooney, Guipago's death marked "the end of the war history of the Kiowa." Other important Kiowa war leaders also died around the same time. This made it a very difficult period for the Kiowa people.
Lonewolf Song 1st Gourd Dance Song
Kooey pah' gaw
Daw onh daw-geath
Day tay dow tigh dow
Koy keah kom' bah
Naw daw tigh dow
Tay dow tigh dow hey
Chief Lonewolf gave us this one song,
It's with all of us,
That song is with all the Kiowas,
It's for all of us.
Cúifà:gàu
dáu á̠u: dáu:gà
dè jé: dáu táidò:
Cáuiqácô̠bàu
nàu dáu táidò:
jé: dáu táidò: he
Guipago's Legacy Today
In 1996, the descendants of Old Chief Lone Wolf created a group to honor him. They remember Guipago as a man of peace, a respected leader, a brave warrior, and a great chief. He fought for the Kiowa people's homeland.
A special memorial bust of Old Chief Lone Wolf-Guipahgo was dedicated on May 27, 2000. It is at the Kiowa Tribal Complex in Carnegie, Oklahoma. You can also see the bust on display at the Ft. Sill Army Museum in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.
