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The Cheyenne tribes were buffalo hunters of the plains and also had traditions of when they lived in the east and planted corn. 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 so uthwest. Eventually, they moved into the plains area, in the woodlands of the Mississippi River Valley. Their tribal 'medicine' was a bundle of sacred arrows in the keeping of one of the southern bands.

They were a proud, warlike people, who has left a strong impression on the history of the plains. The Cheyenne are considered to be an strongly conservative group. This tribe is devoted to the ghost dance and as a group are considered the most expert sign-talkers on the plains.

The Cheyennes, who are close allies with the Arapaho, call themselves, 'Dzitsistas' which losely translates to 'our people'. They were represented by a large delegation of 43 members from Oklahoma. The Cheyenne number in all nearly 3500, of whom 2000 (southern) are on a reservation in western Oklahoma. The remainder (northern) live on a reservation in Montana, except for a few living with the Dakota or Sioux.

The Cheyenne tribe share many of the same characteristics as the Kiowa in that they fight and hunt on horseback, live in skin tipis, practice little or no agriculture, use the same weapons, and have similar military organizations and tribal ceremonies. They wore the prairie moccasin, breech-cloth, and buckskin dress. The men wore the scalp-lock, usually having the rest of the hair braided and hanging down in front on each side of the head. The are considered to be quite tall with a build that is sinewy and they have thin, clear-cut features. They Cheyenne also much lighter in color than other tribes.

 

Created by Sonya Halseth

May 1, 2006