Cheyenne Tribe
What Is the Cheyenne Tribe?
The Cheyenne Tribe is a sovereign Indigenous nation originally from the Great Lakes region that migrated to the Great Plains (Joseph Jablow et al., 2020). Comprising the Tsétsêhéstâhese and Sótáeo’o peoples, they were historically a small Algonkian-speaking group whose destiny became linked with Siouan neighbors (Joseph Jablow et al., 2020)(Leo K. Killsback et al., 2020). By the 1830s, the nation divided into Northern and Southern entities, maintaining distinct political and legal dealings with the United States while preserving a unified cultural identity (Brian Hosmer et al., 2013).
Historical Migration and Origins
The Cheyenne originally resided in the northeast, likely on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes, before moving into south-central Minnesota (Joseph Jablow et al., 2020). Early French records from 1673 identify them as the Chaiena located east of the Mississippi River (Joseph Jablow et al., 2020). Before adopting horses, they traveled by foot using dogs as beasts of burden, eventually transitioning to a nomadic lifestyle on the Great Plains as they moved westward from their traditional planting grounds (Leo K. Killsback et al., 2020).
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Social and Political Structure
The Cheyenne political structure was historically decentralized, consisting of autonomous bands and military societies that drew members from different groups (Loretta Fowler et al., 2003). Following the Great Unification, the Tsétsêhéstâhese and Sótáeo’o camped separately but united for ceremonies (Leo K. Killsback et al., 2020). Legal traditions included unique roles, such as the wife of the Hat Keeper, who held the power to declare asylum for those facing criminal charges (Bruce E. Johansen et al., 1998).
Cultural Covenants and Traditions
Cheyenne life is rooted in two sacred covenants: the Maahótse and the Ésevone (Leo K. Killsback et al., 2020). These teachings informed their etiquette and interactions with other Indigenous peoples, whom they called xamaevoēstaneo’o, meaning ordinary or original people (Leo K. Killsback et al., 2020). Despite external pressures from 19th-century emigration and government-enforced centralization, the tribe maintained strong ceremonial traditions and military societies that validated leadership through spiritual sanction and kinship (Loretta Fowler et al., 2003).