I-See-O

First Sergeant I-See-O (Plenty Fires), a.k.a. Tah-bone-ma, (c.1849 – 1927) was a Native American of the Kiowa tribe who served with distinction as an Indian scout in the United States Army from 1889 until his death.

I-See-O was born on a reservation near Fort Larned, Kansas. When he was about 18 years old in 1867 he witnessed the Medicine Lodge Council which resulted in the Medicine Lodge Treaty between the United States government, represented by Lieutenant General William T. Sherman and the tribes of the southwest.

Three treaties resulted from the council. The first treaty was signed October 21, 1867, with the Kiowa and Comanche tribes. The second, with the Kiowa-Apache, was signed the same day. The third treaty was signed with the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho on October 28. Although provisions of the treaties were to be later violated by the United States, the tribes which signed the treaty were able to win a number of court cases against the United States government in the 20th Century.

Late in his life, I-See-O was able to identify the exact location of the Council for a commission which wanted to build a monument to the event.

In 1883 I-See-O (then using the name Tah-Bone-Ma) served as a private in the Indian Police of the Indian Territory (which would later become the state of Oklahoma) and was paid five dollars a month.

I-See-O is listed (under the name of Tah-Bone-Ma) was listed on the April 30, 1889 census of the Kiowa tribe. He is listed as being 40 years old along with his 38 year old wife Pau-to-mah, two daughters (ages 15 and 10) and a five-year-old son.

About 1889, I-See-O enlisted in the 7th Cavalry in 1889 and I-See-O taught future Army Chief of Staff Hugh L. Scott (then a lieutenant) Native American sign language and techniques of frontier warfare. When Scott was given command of Troop L of the regiment, he has I-See-O serve as his first sergeant. I-See-O and Scott worked together closely until Scott was reassigned in 1897.

During the ghost dance phenomenon of the early 1890s, I-See-O helped in persuading the Apache and Kiowa tribes not to go to war. This action, while serving the interest of white settlers and speculators, undoubtedly also saved the lives of many Native Americans. Scott's gratitude to I-See-O was such that, when he was Chief of Staff of the Army, he allowed for Sergeant I-See-O to remain on active duty for life.

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