A Cheyenne Proverb

1
A Cheyenne Proverb

• "A nation is not conquered
• Until the hearts of its women are on the ground.
• Then it is finished,
• No matter how brave its warriors
• Or how strong their weapons."

2
The Cheyenne
Welcome! va'ôhtama!

• Presented By Annie

3
Who Are The Cheyenne?

• The Cheyenne are North American Plains Indian
  people who speak a dialect of Algonkian.
• Cheyenne means people of a different speech.

4
Who Are The Cheyenne?

• The ancient Cheyenne called themselves
  TsistsistaThe People.

5
A Brief of History

• The Cheyenne originated on the west shore of the
  Great Lakes area, where they had a sedentary and
  peaceful life.
• They fished and lived in bark- covered huts.

6
A Brief of History (continued)

• In the late 1600s, the Cheyenne began their long
  journey to the west.

• During that time, the Cheyenne farmed, fished,
  hunted, and made pottery.

7
A Brief of History (continued)

• In the late 1700s, the Cheyenne moved to the
  Black Hills of South Dakota , where they
  developed their unique nomadic Plains culture and
  gave up agriculture and pottery.

8
A Brief of History (continued)

• During the early 19th century, the Cheyenne
  migrated to the center of Great Plains.

9
The Cheyenne

• Location and Environment
• Economy Sources
• Homes and Camps
• Food
• Clothing
• Weapons for Hunting and Fighting
• Arts and Crafts

• Customs, Beliefs, and Religion
• Role of Men, Women, and Children
• Leadership and Government
• Interactions with the Europeans

10
Location and Environment (Location)

• The territory of the Cheyenne could be as far
  north as the Black Hills of South Dakota and as
  far south as the Staked Plain of the Texas. It
  was between the western Rocky Mountains and the
  east bank of the Mississippi River.

11
Location and Environment (Location)

• Generally, the plains area between the North
  Platte and Arkansas Rivers was the true home of
  the Cheyenne. It included Eastern Colorado and
  Wyoming, western Kansas and Nebraska.

12
Location and Environment(Environment)

• The center high plains, where the Cheyenne
  settled, lies in the center of Great Plains. It
  is extremely difficult for humans to settle in
  the land.

13
Location and Environment(Environment)

• The climate of the land is harsh. There are
  frigid winds and blizzards in the winter, and
  thunderstorms and hailstones in the summer.

14
Location and Environment(Environment)

• The land is nearly treeless and is thickly
  carpeted with tall, native grasses. This gives no
  protection from harsh weather.
• Also, the land has no main rivers. It is dry and
  lacks water.

15
Location and Environment(Environment)

• Why did the Cheyenne choose this harsh place to
  live?

• Millions of buffalo herds roamed the center
  high plains, since there was abundant buffalo
  grass.

16
Economy Sources

• The Cheyenne were very dependent on the buffalo
  for food, housing, clothing and other items like
  tools and jewelry, they also traded buffalo hides
  for other things.

17
Homes and Camps

• The tepee was the home of the Cheyenne, it was a
  conical structure

• framed by angled poles and covered by buffalo
  hides.
• It was designed to keep the inside cool in summer
  and warm in winter.

18
Homes and Camps (Continued)
The Cheyenne tepee was unique because of its big
size and beauty.

• The tepee was white and shining under the sun
  since the Cheyenne used the buffalo skin that was
  specially treated.

19
Homes and Camps (Continued)
What did it look like inside the tepee?

• The fireplace was in the center, and the
  furniture and belongings were arranged
  symmetrically around the fireplace.

20
Homes and Camps (Continued)

• The backrest, made of willow, made sitting more
  comfortable.

21
Homes and Camps (Continued)

• The Cheyenne Camps were large, since more hunters
  were needed.
• The Cheyenne broke and formed their camp
  repeatedly and frequently, their campsites
  followed the trail of buffalo.

22
Homes and Camps (Continued)

• During winter, the Cheyenne built their camp in a
  sheltered place and enjoyed their peaceful and
  restful life.

23
Food

• Buffalo was the main food of the Cheyenne they
  used the fresh buffalo meat to make soup or dried
  it in the sun.

• Other animals and birds like deer, moose, elk,
  and rabbits were also their food sources.

24
Food (Continued)

• The Cheyenne favorite vegetable was the Indian
  turnip

• The Cheyenne also ate some wild fruits such as
  chokeberry, plums, sand-berry, and currants

25
Clothing

• The most common Cheyenne footwear was the
  moccasins.

• The leggings were worn in the winter.

26
Clothing(Women)

• Cheyenne women wore the dress made of soft
  deerskin in the warm weather,

and wore the buffalo skin dress in the winter.
27
Clothing(Men)

• Cheyenne men usually wore breechcloth with a belt
  .
• When it was cold, they wore a robe made of
  buffalo skin.

28
Clothing(Men)

• Cheyenne men liked to wear the war bonnet made
  of eagle feathers.
• They believed that it would protect them in the
  fighting.

29
Clothing(Decorations)

• Cheyenne women decorated the clothing

with beads, feathers, fringes, and quills. They
also painted the clothing.
30
Weapons for Hunting and Fighting

• Cheyenne men used shields to protect themselves
  from the enemies.

• To show their bravery, they liked to use the
  lances to attack the enemies

31
Weapons for Hunting and Fighting(Continued)

• Cheyenne men usually used arrows and bows to hunt
  animals and attack their enemies.

• Their arrows were pointed with various shapes and
  tailed with feathers.

32
Weapons for Hunting and Fighting(Continued)

• The Cheyenne used war clubs in the fighting. The
  club was made of a stone attached to a stick.

• They also used spears for buffalo hunting .

33
Arts and Crafts

• The Cheyenne had various tools included

• Stone maul used to peg the tepee into the ground
  and smash the animal bones to make soup.

2. Flesher, made from a buffalo bone, used to
scrape animal hides clean.
34
Arts and Crafts(Continued)

• The Cheyenne made spoons and decorated them with
  strings and paints.

• They also made cradle board to carry the  baby
  safely as they were moving on the horse.

35
Arts and Crafts(Continued)

• Cheyenne women were famous for making,
  decorating, and painting animal hinds.
• They used hinds to make clothing, bedding,
  storage, and tepee covers.

36
Arts and Crafts (Continued)

• They used a tanning process to produce white and
  shining buffalo skin.
• They used powdered earth, porous bones, and the
  special glue to paint the hinds.

• They also decorated the hinds with beads,
  feathers, fringes, and quills in a pattern.

37
Customs, Beliefs, and Religion(Beliefs)

• The Cheyenne believed that Maheo was the creator
  of the world.
• Four Sacred Persons, the Maheyuno, were
  positioned at four directions east, west, north,
  and south, where they guarded Maheos creation.
• The Maheyuno controlled Maiyun, lesser spirits
  who are in many forms like animal or birds.

38
Customs, Beliefs, and Religion(Beliefs)

• The Cheyenne believed that the dead lived in
  harmony with Maheo.
• They worshiped their deity by dancing and
  performing rituals.

39
Customs, Beliefs, and Religion(Sacred Objects)

• One of the most important sacred objects was the
  Four Medicine Arrows.
• The Cheyenne believed that two of the arrows had
  great power over buffalo and the other two over
  humans.

40
Customs, Beliefs, and Religion(Sacred Objects)

• Bear Butte in the Black hills, South Dakota was a
  sacred mountain to the Cheyenne.

• It was mentioned in many of the Cheyenne's sacred
  stories.

41
Customs, Beliefs, and Religion(Rituals)

• One of the most important rituals, the Sun Dance,
  was held in the summer and lasted four days.

• The dancer kept dancing without eating and
  drinking and ended up with his chest pierced.
• This ritual was to show the bravery and the
  ability of standing pain.

42
Customs, Beliefs, and Religion(Rituals)

• The most sacred ritual was the Renewal of the
  Four Medicine Arrows.
• The religion leaders opened a leather bundle that
  held the arrows in the Sacred Arrow Lodge on the
  longest day of the year when all the tribe
  gathered together.
• It was believed that the arrows would make
  buffalo and the enemies of the Cheyenne
  powerless.

43
Customs, Beliefs, and Religion(Marriage)

• The boy asked a respected elder woman to propose
  to the girls family.
• The bride rode the finest horse of her family and
  was led by an elder woman to the house of the
  groom.
• The relatives of the groom carried the bride into
  the house and prepared her for the ceremony.

44
Customs, Beliefs, and Religion(Burial Customs)

• The dead were buried with some possessions at a
  location far from the camp.
• After painted and dressed, the dead were placed
  on a high platform, either in a tree or on a
  scaffold.

45
Role of Men, Women, and Children(Men)

• Cheyenne men were the masters of hunting. They
  provided main economy sources for the family.
• Cheyenne men were full of bravery and courage,
  they protected their family and properties and
  served as warriors for their tribe.

46
Role of Men, Women, and Children(Women)

• Raising children and caring for all the
  housework were the key responsibilities of
  Cheyenne women.
• They cooked food, made clothing, bedding, tepees,
  and tools, dressed hinds, and saddled their
  husband's horses .

47
Role of Men, Women, and Children(Games for adult)

• The Cheyenne played games at their free time. One
  of the popular games was the hoop and poles.
• To play the game, you needed to shoot the pole
  across the hoop when it passed.

48
Role of Men, Women, and Children(Children)

• Cheyenne children played around and learned the
  skills they should have as grownups.
• Boys learned to become hunters and warriors.
• gtgt They used mini weapons to practice and rode
  ponies.
• gtgt They played games mocking hunting and
  fighting.

49
Role of Men, Women, and Children(Children)

• Girls helped their mothers and learned how to
  take care of children and housework.

gtgt They played with dolls and mini
cradleboards to pretend to be a mother . gtgt They
set up small tepees and pretended to move
their camps.  
50
Leadership and Government

• The Cheyenne was well organized into 10 bands and
  governed by the Council of Forty-Four.

• The council was made of 44 chiefs who served for
  10 years. It was held annually.

51
Leadership and Government

• The 44 chiefs -4 principal chiefs representing
  all numbers of tribes plus 4 chiefs elected from
  each of their 10 bands-discussed the issues- like
  when and where to hunt or move or with whom they
  should form an alliance.

52
Leadership and Government

• These chiefs were peace makers, they were elected
  for their sagacity, courage, generosity, and
  self-control.

53
Leadership and Government

• However, the Cheyenne also had seven war
  societiesBowstring Soldiers, Wolf Soldiers,
  Crazy Dogs, Red Shields, Dog Soldiers, Kit Foxes,
  and Elk Soldiers.

54
Leadership and Government

• Each Society was governed by major and minor
  leaders.
• The societies were responsible for defense and
  for avenging deaths.
• The Dog Soldiers were well known as hostile,
  relentless warriors.

A Dog Soldier
55
Interaction With the European Settlers(Early
encountering)

• In 1806, the Cheyenne met Merewether Lewis and
  William Clark , the first two representatives of
  the U.S. government.
• A chief refused to take the peace medal offered
  by Clark.

56
Interaction With the European Settlers(Trade)

• In 1834, Chief Yellow Wolf and his partner
  William Bent, a fur trader, built Bents fort, a
  trading fort, on the Arkansas River near the
  Cheyenne.

• Through trading, the Cheyenne became stronger and
  better.

57
Interaction With the European Settlers(Treaties
and wars)

• In 1825, the Cheyenne signed their first peace
  agreement with the U.S. government.
• In 1851, the Cheyenne, along with other Indian
  tribes, signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie. The
  goal was set to bring peace by establishing
  specific boundaries for Indian territories.

58
A note on the division of the Cheyenne

• By 1859, the Cheyenne were no longer united.
  They were divided into Northern Cheyenne who
  stayed in the north and Southern Cheyenne who
  stayed in the south.
• From then on, each tribe would fight its own
  battles and sign its own treaties.

59
Interaction With the European Settlers(Treaties
and wars)

• The Treaty of Fort Laramie did not bring the
  peace. Both settlers and the Cheyenne attacked
  each other.
• The U.S. government sent their soldiers to fight
  the Cheyenne.

60
Interaction With the European Settlers(The Sand
Creek Massacre)

• In 1864, Between 400 and 500 Cheyenne men, women
  and children were slaughtered in a brutal,

• unprovoked assault by Colonel Chivington and
  his soldiers at Sand Creek, Colorado.

61
Interaction With the European Settlers(Treaties
and wars)

• In 1867, Chief Black Kettle signed the Treaty of
  Medicine Lodge which confined the Southern
  Cheyenne to a reservation in Oklahoma.

62
Interaction With the European Settlers(The
Custers Last Stand)

• The Northern Cheyenne, along with the Teton
  Sioux, continued to fight the U.S. troops.
• In 1876, they killed General Custer and his 265
  men in the battle of Little Big Horn, often
  referred as Custers Last Stand.

63
Interaction With the European Settlers(Treaties
and wars)

• After the battle, the Northern Cheyenne retreated
  into the deep hills to hide.
• In 1877, they turned themselves over the U.S.
  authorities, and were forced to travel 70 days on
  foot to join their Southern kin at Darlington
  Agency, Oklahoma.

64
Interaction With the European Settlers(Treaties
and wars)

• The Northern Cheyenne missed their north home,
  but they were not allowed to leave.
• Dull Knife and Little Wolf and their 300 follower
  escaped from the reservation of Oklahoma.

Dull Knife
65
Interaction With the European Settlers(Treaties
and wars)

• Dull Knifes band were captured and some of them
  escaped again to join their Sioux friends in the
  South Dakota.
• In 1879, Little Wolf and his band surrendered and
  were taken to Fort Keogh in Montana.

Little Wolf
66
Interaction With the European Settlers(Treaties
and wars)

• In 1884, most of the Northern Cheyenne moved to a
  reservation in Montana.

67
Todays Cheyenne

• Today, the Northern Cheyenne Reservation is in
  Montana and the Southern Cheyenne Reservation is
  in Oklahoma.
• They live a life much like their non-Indian
  Americans.
• However, they still keep some of their traditions.

68
Thank you! Néáee!
Once, we were great and powerful nation our
hearts were proud and our arms were strong
-Porcupine Bear Virgina Driving Hawk Sneve
69
Bibliography

• Sally Sheppard. The Cheyenne. United states of
  America franklin Watts Inc, 1976
• Evelyn Wolfson. From Abenaki to Zuni. United
  States of America Walker Publishing Company Inc,
  1988
• Stan Hoig. The Cheyenne. United States of
  America Chelsea house of publisher, 1989

70
Bibliography

• Colin Caylor. What do we know about the Plain
  Indians?. New York, New York Peter Bedricks
  Books, 1993
• Liz Sonneborn. The Cheyenne Indians. New York,
  New York Chelsea House of Publisher, 1992
• Robin May. The Plain Indians of North America.
  Vero beach, Florida Rourke Publications Inc, 1987

71
Bibliography

• Virgina Driving Hawk. Sneve The Cheynnes. United
  States of America Holiday House, 1996
• www.cheyenneindian.com
• www.cheyenneoutpost.com
• montanafilm.com
• www.americanhistory.com