Recent research into the "forty-nine" songs and singing of the Kiowa Indians in southwestern Oklahoma is described in this paper. The paper first outlines the value of a process oriented approach to communication analysis that accents three primary variables: indexicality (the inherent situational nature of communicative acts), reflexivity (individuals' presuppositions about events and the relation of their presuppositions to those of other members of the culture), and intentionality (the intent of speakers). Two primary data gathering procedures used in the research are then described: intensive interviews, led by a Kiowa collaborator, designed to build a reflexive account of forty-nining; and field observation of forty-nines. Finally, an analysis of Kiowa forty-nining is presented, in which the following topics are among those addressed: the origins, functions,and general characteristics of forty-nines; historical, linguistic, and thematic patterns of the songs; the effect of performer intent on the meaning of song themes and performance; and established procedural rules related to turn-taking by song leaders, the use of insult exchange as a means of social bonding and sensitization, and the meaningful sequencing of songs by song leaders. (GW)