Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes

Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes

Cheyenne-Arapaho tribal member, peace chief, and artist, Harvey Pratt
Total population
12,185[1]
Regions with significant populations
United States ( Oklahoma)
Languages
English, Arapaho language, Cheyenne language
Religion
Christianity, Native American Church, Sun Dance, traditional tribal religions
Related ethnic groups
Arapaho, Cheyenne, Gros Ventre, Blackfeet, and Suhtai

The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are a united, federally recognized tribe of Southern Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne people in western Oklahoma.

History

Arapaho camp, 1868

The Cheyennes and Arapahos are two distinct tribes with distinct histories. The Cheyenne (Tsis Tsis Tas/ The People) were once agrarian, or agricultural, people located near the Great Lakes in present-day Minnesota. Grinnell notes the Cheyenne language is a unique branch of the Algonquian language family and, The Nation itself, is descended from two related tribes, the Tsis Tsis Tas and the Suh' Tai. The latter is believed to have joined the Tsis Tsis Tas in the early 18th century (1: 1-2). The Tsis Tsis Tas and the Suh' Tai are characterized, and represented by two cultural heroes whom received divine articles which shaped the time-honored belief systems of the Southern and Northern families of the Cheyenne Nation. The Suh' Tai, represented by a man named Erect Horns, were blessed with the care of a sacred Buffalo Hat, which is kept among the Northern family. The Tsis Tsis Tas, represented by a man named Sweet Medicine, were bestowed with the care of a bundle of sacred Arrows, kept among the Southern Family. Inspired by Erect Horn's vision, they adopted the horse culture in the 18th century and moved westward onto the plains to follow the buffalo. The prophet Sweet Medicine organized the structure of Cheyenne society, including the Council of Forty-four peace chiefs and the warrior societies led by prominent warriors.^[2]

The Arapaho, also Algonquian speaking, came from Saskatchewan, Montana, Wyoming, eastern Colorado, and western South Dakota in the 18th century. They adopted horse culture and became successful nomadic hunters. In 1800, the tribe began coalescing into northern and southern groups. Although the Arapaho had assisted the Cheyenne and Lakota in driving the Kiowa and Comanche south from the Northern Plains, in 1840 they made peace with both tribes. They became prosperous traders, until the expansion of American settlers onto their lands after the Civil War.^[3]

The Cheyenne and Arapaho formed an alliance in the 18th and 19th centuries. Together they were a formidable military force, successful hunters, and active traders with other tribes. At the height of their alliance, their combined hunting territories spanned from Montana to Texas.^[2]

Signing the Ft. Laramie Treaty, 1868

The Arapaho signed the Fort Laramie Treaty with the US in 1851. It recognized and guaranteed their rights to traditional lands in portions of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming. The US could not enforce the treaty, however, and European-American trespassers overran Indian lands. There were repeated conflicts between settlers and members of the tribes.

The US government brought the tribes to council again in 1867, to achieve peace under the Medicine Lodge Treaty. It promised the Arapaho a reservation in Kansas, but they disliked the location. They accepted a reservation with the Cheyenne in Indian Territory, so both tribes were forced to remove south near Fort Reno in present-day Oklahoma.^[2]

The Dawes Act broke up the Cheyenne-Arapaho land base. All land not allotted to individual Indians was opened to settlement in the Land Run of 1892. The Curtis Act of 1898 dismantled the tribal governments in an attempt to have the tribal members assimilate to United States conventions and culture.

After the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act passed in 1936, the Cheyenne and Arapaho organized a single tribal government in 1937.^[3] The Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975 further enhanced tribal development.

Government

The tribal government consists of the Tribal Council, Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, and Judicial Branch. The Tribal Council includes all tribal members over the age of 18.^[4] The Executive Branch is led by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The Legislative Branch is made up of legislators from the four Arapaho districts and four Cheyenne districts. The Judicial Branch includes a Supreme Court, including one Chief Justice and four Associate Justices; a Trial Court, composed of one Chief Judge and at least one Associate Judge; and any lower courts deemed necessary by the Legislature.^[5] In 2006 the tribes voted and ratified the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Constitution which replaced the 1975 constitution.^[6]

Their current tribal governor is Janice Boswell.^[1]

Today

The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are headquartered in Concho, Oklahoma. Of 12,185 enrolled tribal members, 8,664 live within the state of Oklahoma. The tribe's Governor is Janice Boswell, currently serving a four-year term. The tribal jurisdictional area includes Beckham, Blaine, Canadian, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Kingfisher, Roger Mills, and Washita Counties.^[1]

The tribe operates three tribal smoke shops and four casinos:^[1] the Lucky Star Casino in Clinton, the Lucky Star Casino in Concho, the Feather Warrior Casino in Watonga, and the Feather Warrior Casino in Canton.^[7] They also issue their own tribal vehicle tags. Their economic impact is estimated at $32 million.^[1] The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Tribune is the tribe's newspaper.^[7] The Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma Culture and Heritage Program teaches hand games, powwow dancing and songs, horse care and riding, buffalo management, and Cheyenne and Arapaho language, and sponsored several running events.^[8]

In partnership with Southwestern Oklahoma State University, the tribe founded the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal College on August 25, 2006. Dr. Henrietta Mann, enrolled tribal member, currently is president. The campus is in Weatherford, Oklahoma and the school offers programs in Tribal Administration, American Indian Studies, and General Studies.^[9]

Notable tribal members

Suzan Shown Harjo, Cheyenne-Muscogee activist, author, poet, and policy maker

• Archie Blackowl, Artist
• Chris Eyre, film director & producer
• Suzan Shown Harjo, Cheyenne-Muscogee Creek Activist, policymaker, journalist, and poet
• Edgar Heap of Birds, artist and educator
• Yvonne Kauger, Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice
• Chief Niwot, traditional Arapaho chief
• St. David Pendleton Oakerhater, Episcopal saint, deacon, warrior, and artist
• Harvey Pratt, artist
• Henry Roman Nose, traditional Cheyenne chief
• W. Richard West, Sr., Cheyenne artist and educator
• W. Richard West, Jr., Cheyenne lawyer and first director of the National Museum of the American Indian
• Wolf Robe, traditional Cheyenne chief

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Pocket Pictorial." Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission. 2010: 7. . Retrieved 10 June 2010.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Moore, John H. Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. (retrieved 7 Feb 2009)
3. ^ ^{a b} Fowler, Loretta. Arapaho, Southern., Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture, retrieved 7 Feb 2009
4. ^ Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Constitution, Article V, Section 1
5. ^ Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma Constitution and Bylaws. 1975 (retrieved 7 Feb 2009)
6. ^ http://www.c-a-tribes.org/cheyenne-arapaho-tribes-constitution
7. ^ ^{a b} Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. 2007 (retrieved 7 Feb 2009)
8. ^ Culture. Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. 2007 (retrieved 7 Feb 2009)
9. ^ General Information. Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal College. (retrieved 2 Nov 2009)

References

• Grinnell, George B. The Cheyenne Indians: Their History and Lifeways Vol 1. Bloomington: World Wisdom, Inc. 2008. Print.

Additional reading

• Henrietta Mann, "Cheyenne-Arapaho Education 1871-1982", Niwot CO: University Press of Colorado, 1997. ISBN-0-87081-462-1
• Raylene Hinz-Penner, "Searching for Sacred Ground: The Journey of Chief Lawrence Hart, Mennonite", Telford, PA:Cascadia Publishing House, 2007
• John L. Moore, The Cheyenne, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 1996. ISBN 978-0631218623.

External links

• The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, official website
• Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma Constitution and By-Laws
• Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal College