northern cheyenne

NORTHERN CHEYENNE

Who Are The Northern Cheyenne?

Algonquian Speaking Nation

Also known as the Tsistsistas, which means Beautiful People and as the So’taae’o

Split into Northern and Southern Cheyenne in 1850.

Creation Story Similar to Christianity’s Old Testament

and God’s creation of Adam and Eve. Haemmawihio created man from his right

rib and woman from his left. Heammawihio moved woman to the

north and man in the south. Twice a year the two battle for control of

the earth

Where Did They Live?

• Original homeland was in the woodlands near the Great Lakes

• Placed in Indian Territory 1877• Escaped Indian Territory on September 10,

1878• Tongue River Reservation 1884

Northern Cheyenne ExodusEscape to Montana

“ We dodged the soldiers during most of the way, but they were always near us and trying to catch us. Our young men fought them off in seven different battles. At each fight, some of our people were killed, women or children the same as men. I do not know how many of our grown-up people were killed. But I know that more than 60 of our children were gone when we got to the Dakota Country.”

~ Susan Iron Teeth

Little Wolf and

Dull Knife

Food• Women picked wild plant

foods

• Buffalo were hunted in two ways:• Shooting or lancing

from horseback• Impounding, jumping

or driving into deep snow

• Meat butchering was shared by men and women, but the drying and storage was women’s work.

Clothing

MEN WORE WOMEN WORELEGGINGS DRESSESSHIRTS PROTECTIVE ROPEBREECH CLOTHS MOCCASINSMOCCASINS BUFFALO ROBESBUFFALO ROBES

ShelterEARTHERN LODGES AND

BARK HUTSTEPEES

• 3 POLE STRUCTURE• COVERED IN BUFFALO SKINS

Transportation• Before horses

used dogs to pull travois.

• Horses became new way of transportation:

• Saddles• Bridles• Ropes• travois

Sacred Sites and Objects Bear Butte

Sturgis, SD Known as Noavose, meaning “The Hill Where the People Are Taught.” Sweet Medicine received the Four Sacred Arrows from Ma’heo’o here.

Deer Medicine Rocks Located on reservation Where Hunkpapa Lakota Chief Sitting Bull went prior to battle of Little Big Horn.

Lake DeSmet Central to spiritual ceremonies North of Buffalo, WY Cheyenne would go here for spiritual quests.

Sacred Hat Esevone, the Sacred Buffalo Hat Source of female renewing power. Brought the Sun Dance, blesses the male and female relationships ensuring

continual strength, harmony, and new life for the people and their world. Sacred Arrows

Four black painted arrows given to Sweet Medicine at Bear Butte.

Recreation Hoop Game

Dolls

Lacrosse

Musical Instruments

Family Patterns Marriage was postponed until a man had

a respectable war record Courtship lasted several years Girls were chaperoned by families A girl’s brother had authority over her

marriage. Marriage was often to a brother’s friend

or member of his military society.

Life Cycle Babies

Umbilical cord was dried and saved 6 months ears were pierced Were not named until 5 or 6 years old

Puberty For girls a horse was given away in honor of becoming a woman. Boys took active role in hunting and war parties Vision Quests

Adulthood Marked by achievement

Death Spirits traveled up to the Hanging Road or Milky Way to Seyan. In mourning women cut their hair and gashed themselves and

men loosened their hair.

Division of LaborMEN WOMEN Hunting Meat Butchering Warfare Made weapons Painted robes Ceremonial Life

Doctoring the sick

Meat Butchering Drying and storage

Gathering fuel and wild plant foods.

Preparation of clothing and robes

Preparation of Lodges

Pitching and dismantling tepees

Education Before Formal Schooling

Education Included: Language Ceremonies, customs, and traditions Tribal government Gender roles Morals Botany, biology, astronomy, geography Child rearing Hunting, weaponry Food preparation, nutrition, agriculture Bead work, sewing, making clothing, tanning hides Keeping a lodge Religion Healing and medicine

Education Boarding Schools

• St. Labre Indian School 1884

• Cheyenne children forcibly taken from their families and taken to Catholic boarding school.

• 1904, the Tongue River Boarding school opened.

• An Indian Bureau School

How Do They Control Their Society

Sovereign Government

Tribal Council Members from Ashland, Birney, Bubsy, Muddy,

and Lame Deer

Maintains reservation including: Waterways Watercourses and streams

Problems• Loss of Land• Loss of

Language• Poverty

Northern CheyennePresent Day Reservation

Located in Southeastern Montana Districts

General- Lame Deer Ashland Birney Busby Muddy (vacant)

444,000 acres with 99% tribal ownership 10,050 enrolled tribal members with

4,939 on the reservation

References(April 2002). Cheyenne Indian. Retrieved fromhttp://www.cheyenneindian.com/cheyenne_history_001.htm

Biles, J. (2012). Exhibits feature Indian art, Curtis Photos. Retrieved fromhttp://cjonline.com/blog-post/jan-biles/2012-04-20/exhibits-feature-indian-art-curtis-photos

Marjane, A., Little Bear, R.E., Wilson, D., Tall Bull, L., Hantz, J., Ward, C., Wertman, B. (2008). We, the Northern Cheyenne People: our land, our history, our culture.

Northern Cheyenne Exodus. (2013, February 5). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:23, February 24, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Northern_Cheyenne_Exodus&oldid=536684695

Omaha public Schools. (2009). Cheyenne.http://www.ops.org/elementary/bancroft/SPECIALISTS/ComputerLab/MRSPEARSON/Curriculum/PlainsIndians/Cheyenne/tabid/210/Default.aspxhttp://hoocher.com/Frederic_Remington/Frederic_Remington.htm

Rock, J. Whitehorse Tipi Village. http://www.whitehorsetipis.co.uk/Tipis.html

Little Coyote, J. (2002). An Overview of Northern Cheyenne Culture and History. http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/mt/field_offices/miles_city/og_eis/cheyenne.Par.48387.File.dat/Chap2.pdf

http://www.aaanativearts.com/cheyenne-indians/northern-cheyenne-tribe.htm

(2013). Countries and Their Cultures: Cheyenne-economy.http://www.everyculture.com/North-America/Cheyenne-Economy.html

http://www.cheyennenation.com/