cheyenne
cheyenne
cheyenne
location: the cheyenne indians lived in the
great plains area, east of the rocky mountains and west of the mississippi
river. today they are settled in montana and oklahoma.
history: the cheyenne first lived in the
eastern portion of the united states. they lived in fixed villages and used the
land for farming. some moved west and southwest. eventually, they moved into
the plains area, in the woodlands of the mississippi river valley.
language: the cheyenne dialect is part of
the algonquin language family. their alphabet only contains fourteen letters
which can be combined to form words and phrases. today, the united states
government is working to convert the cheyenne to an english-only speaking
tribe. the cheyenne are trying desperately to keep their language alive despite
the government’s recent attempts to make their language extinct.
daily life: before the sun rose, the
cheyenne began preparing for the day. building the fire was the first task to
be completed. the women woke to get the water from the nearby stream, while the
men and boys went to the stream to bathe. as dawn continued, the camp became
livelier. the women made the morning meal and the boys herded the horses back
into camp.
after the meal, announcements were made by the old crier who circled the
people on his horse. when he was finished, the people went about their daily
activities. the children would scatter about the area to swim, run, and model
images out of clay. the women of the camp had many activities to keep them
busy. they would go off in groups to gather wood and roots early in the day.
this was their time for joking and laughing. they gathered sticks from the
ground and broke dead branches off the trees in the forest. the wood was
divided up, formed into bundles, and strapped on their backs. they then set out
for camp. the older men made bows, arrows and pipes, while the young men spent
time enhancing their personal appearance or listening to wise men.
many men hunted game to provide the camp with food. as day turned into
night, the cheyenne people prepared for the meal. this was the lively event of
the day in which music, dancing and various other activities took place. after
a few hours, the camp became silent as people turned in for the night.
best known features: an important cheyenne
custom was the smoking of the peace pipe. there were strict rules that were
practiced during the smoking of the pipe. a prayer was offered before the first
smoke. most men had their own specific way to smoke the peace pipe.
another tradition of the cheyenne was their story telling, which could
only be done by certain people. these stories were often related and followed a
structure.
references
grinnell, george bird. the cheyenne indians: their history and
ways of life. new york: cooper square publishers, inc., 1962.
hoebel, e. adamson. the cheyenne’s: indians of the great
plains. new york: holt, rinehart and winston, 1960.
written by: summer smith
cheyenne
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