CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO

THESE TRIBES ARE UNITED AND FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED. THE SOUTHERN ARAPAHO AND SOUTHERN CHEYENNE LIVE IN OKLAHOMA. THEIR TOTAL POPULATION IS 12,000. IN THE LATE 1870'S THEY STILL LIVED IN TIPIS. THE TWO TRIBES ARE DISTINCT AND HAVE DIFFERENT HISTORIES. THE CHEYENNE ARE AGRICULTURAL PEOPLE LOCATED ORIGINALLY NEAR THE GREAT LAKES IN MINNESOTA. THEIR LANGUAGE IS ALGONQUIN. THEY HAD PROPHETS AND A SACRED BELIEF THAT WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE ARAPAHO. THE LATER ADOPTED THE HORSE CULTURE IN THE 1700'S TO FOLLOW THE BUFFALO. THEIR PROPHET ORGANIZED THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR SOCIETY AND THEY HAD 44 PEACE CHIEFS AND WARRIOR SOCIETIES.

THE ARAPAHO CAME FROM SASKATCHEWAN, WYOMING, AND SOUTH DAKOTA IN THE 1700'S. THEY USED HORSE AND WERE SUCCESSFUL NOMADIC HUNTERS . IN 1800 THEY MERGED WITH THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN GROUPS. THEY BECAME PROSPEROUS TRADERS, UNTIL THE SETTLERS SETTLERS CAME ONTO THEIR LANDS IN 1860'S. THEY MADE PEACE WITH THE CHEYENNE AND LAKOTA.

THE ARAPAHO FORMED AN ALLIANCE WITH THE CHEYENNE IN THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES. TOGETHER THEY WERE A FORMIDABLE MILITARY FORCE, ACTIVE TRADERS AND HUNTERS.. THEIR TERRITORIES WENT FROM MONTANA TO TEXAS. IN 1851 THE FORT LARAMIE TREATY WAS RECOGNIZED AND GUARANTEED THEIR RIGHTS TO TRADITIONAL LANDS IN COLORADO, KANSAS, NEBRASKA, AND WYOMING. THE US COULD NOT ENFORCED THE TREATY. THEY HAD REPEATED CONFLICTS WITH SETTLERS. IN 1867 THE GOVERNMENT MADE A MEDICINE LODGE TREATY FOR BOTH TRIBES TO GO TO A RESERVATION. THE LOCATION IS NEAR FORT RENO, OKLAHOMA. THE DAWES ACT BROKE UP THEIR LAND BASE

BY 1936 THE CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO ORGANIZED INTO A SINGLE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT IN 1937. BY 2006 THEY DEVELOPED A NEW CONSTITUTION, TODAY THEY HAVE 12,000 MEMBERS ENROLLED AND ABOUT 8,600 LIVE IN OKLAHOMA OUTSIDE OF THEW RESERVATION. CONCHO IS WHERE THEIR OFFICE IS LOCATED.

THEY HAVE BUILT MANY CASINOS AND HAVE A CULTURE AND HERITAGE PROGRAM THAT TEACHES ABOUT THEIR TRADITIONS AND LANGUAGES. IN 2006 THEY BUILT A CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO TRIBAL COLLEGE.

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