About the Cheyenne Indians

The Cheyenne Indians were widely a peaceful group, even toward the early foreign settlers. That is, until their way of life was threatened. Like any society, over time the Cheyenne changed and adapted to meet the needs of their tribe and protect their culture.

Geography

The Cheyenne were commonly known as the Indians of the Great Plains. They were once a people who lived primarily in what is known now as Missouri but later became nomadic, moving from place to place usually following the herd of buffalo they were hunting along what is now Minnesota and South Dakota. They continued to be an agricultural people, though, planting mainly corn and beans.

With the settling of European settlers in the 1700's and 1800's, the Cheyenne, along with several other Indian tribes found themselves at war with the settlers. Countless lives were lost on both sides. Eventually, resettlement of the Indians began, moving Indians into various designated reservations.

History

One of the most notable and famous battles between the Cheyenne and the U.S. Army happened in June 1876. This was the Battle of Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand. This was in response to a number of Cheyenne that had illegally left the reservations. The military wished to force them back into the reservations and a number of battles took place that led up to the Battle of Little Bighorn. The Cheyenne, led by Sitting Bull, defeated Custer's army killing almost 1,000 soldiers including Custer himself, leaving this battle to be a major victory for the Cheyenne. However, eventually, the Cheyenne were force back into reservations.

Features

The most notable features of the Cheyenne were that they were farmers. Later, as they moved, they were still farmers but became expert buffalo hunters. Later, they abandoned their farming and hunting to become what was called a horse culture tribe, meaning that their lives revolved around the herding and breeding of horses.

Horses, mostly brought from Europe by the settlers, had a wide effect on many Indian cultures. Horses became an invaluable resource to the Cheyenne, helping them travel faster and hunt better, eventually becoming the center of their everyday life.

Identification

The Cheyenne were identified primarily by their location, language and mannerisms. They were widely known as the Great Plain Indians as, before they split factions and were resettled into reservations, they were spread across the Great Plains region from Colorado to South Dakota. Their language is part of the Algonquian language group, focusing on expressive tones. Their reputation as agricultural experts and buffalo hunters also identified them.

Considerations

Cheyenne culture was one of ritual and nature. They recognized the "Wise One Above" and also believed in a god beneath the ground. Their ritual dances and practices centered around the battle and the hunt, the two primary focuses of the Cheyenne since being oppressed by foreign settlers.

One of the most prominent objects they carried was called a sacred bundle. It contained a hat made from the buffalo and four arrows. Two of the arrows were painted for hunting and two were painted for battle. This bundle was carried into war and the hunt to ensure success.

[Lakota99]

on 2/10/2009 Thank you i am part cheyyene along with anishinabe, lakota, cherokee. 5
stars :)