INTRODUCTION

Within Monroe Tsa Toke the meeting of compelling

forces, conscious and unconscious, of racial memories,

the loss of tribal security, and religious beliefs added to

the drive of the creative urge to make live in form and

in color the spirit of the Indian. The curious release to

his genius, in this instance by the effect of "peyote," gives

to his work a rare individual quality.

That the past is not unrelated to the present Peyote

Ritual of the Kiowas seems obvious. When the call to

war of a brave tribe of warriors was no longer heard,

when their old way of life no longer existed, their lands

lost and buffalos killed, the trail into the future was

uncertain and unknown. Peyote gave them faith in a

new power and a new road they might follow from

the past that was still in their hearts and minds to a

feared and little understood future.

The explanation and meaning of all but three of his

paintings was given to me by Tsa Toke by word of

mouth or written by him and sent with a picture.

The last time I saw Tsa Toke was in Anadarko at a

dinner in the school house of the old Catholic Mission.

Present at the dinner were the head priest, "Father Al,"

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