Parker McKenzie facts for kids

Parker Paul McKenzie was an important Kiowa Native American man. He was born on November 15, 1897, near Rainy Mountain. He passed away on March 5, 1999, in Mountain View. Parker McKenzie was a linguist. He created the writing system for the Kiowa language. Many people still use his system today.

Early Life and Education

Parker McKenzie was born in a tipi, which is a cone-shaped tent. He was baptized in the Washita River. He went to the Rainy Mountain Kiowa Boarding School. At this school, students had to speak English. If they spoke the Kiowa language, they could be punished.

Afterward, Parker McKenzie continued his education. He attended the Phoenix Indian School. He also went to Union High School, Lamson College, and Oklahoma State University.

At the Phoenix Indian School, he met Nettie Odlety. They got married on August 23, 1919. While at school, they wrote letters to each other in Kiowa. They were also among the first Kiowa photographers. They took pictures in Arizona in 1916.

Working with the Kiowa Language

In 1918, the Smithsonian Institution sent an anthropologist named John Peabody Harrington to Oklahoma. He came to study the Kiowa language. Parker McKenzie became his translator. This was the start of many years of scientific study. They worked together to record the Kiowa language. Before this, it was only a spoken language.

Parker and John created a special alphabet for the Kiowa language. This alphabet helped people write down the sounds of the language. Their work led to two books. These were Vocabulary of the Kiowa Language (1928) and Popular Account of the Kiowa Indian Language (1948). They worked together on these projects until the 1950s.

During these years, Parker McKenzie worked as a stenographer. This means he took notes quickly using shorthand. He worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Even though he wasn't a university professor, his work was very important.

Later in his life, Parker McKenzie worked with Laurel Watkins. Together, they published A Grammar of Kiowa in 1984. Some people compared his work to Sequoyah and the Cherokee alphabet. He also translated many things from English. This included Baptist hymns.

Honors and Legacy

Parker McKenzie's work helped the Kiowa people greatly. The University of Colorado honored him in 1991. They gave him an honorary doctorate. This is a special degree given to honor someone's achievements.

When he turned 100 years old, a special ceremony was held. It took place at the Red Buffalo Hall in Carnegie, Oklahoma. Parker McKenzie was also a Freemason.

Later Years

Parker McKenzie passed away in 1999. He was 101 years old. He was buried in Anadarko, Oklahoma. After his death, he was chosen for the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame.

Family

Parker and Nettie McKenzie had two daughters. Their names were Esther Hayes and Kathryn Collier. They also had three sons: William, Henry, and Robert. All of their sons have passed away.