NORTHERN ARAPAHO IN WYOMING

THE ARAPAHO IN WYOMING ARE ONE IN FOUR GROUPS WHO LIVED IN THE HEADWATERS OF THE ARKANSAW AND PLATTE RIVERS. THEY SPEAK ALGONQUIN. THEY ARE CULTURALLY RELATED TO THE PLAINS INDIANS AND SOCIALLY ARE DISTINCT. IN 1851 THEY SHARED THE LAND OF 1/6TH OF WYOMING. BY 1868 THE TREATY LEFT THEM WITHOUT A LAND BASE AND THEY WERE PLACED WITH THE SHOSHONI IN WEST CENTRAL WYOMING. THEY ARE A FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE. THEY WERE KNOWN AS GREAT BUFFALO HUNTERS. BEFORE WYOMING THEY CAME FROM MINNISOTA BEFORE EUROPEAN EXPANSION FORCED THEM WESTWARD. THEY BECAME A SEDENTARY PEOPLE WITH AGRICULTURE. HOWEVER THAT CHANGED WHEN THEY MOVED WEST AND WERE MORE NOMADIC FOLLOWING BUFFALO HERDS.

THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE INUNA-INA THAT TRANSLATES TO
'OUR PEOPLE'. THEY ALLIED WITH THE CHEYENNES AND LOOSELY WITH THE SIOUX. THEE BUFFALO PROVIDED MUCH OF WHAT THEY NEEDED. THEY GATHERED VBERRIES TOO. THEY PARTICIPATED IN THE SUN DANCE AND FASTED BEFORE IT, PAINTING THEIR BODIES IN DIFFERENT COLORS. THEY ARE GREATLYSPIRITUAL AND BELIEVED IN 'BEHETEIHT'. THEY HAVE A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEMSELVES, THE ANIMALS AND THEIR LAND.

THEY WERE AT PEACE WITH THE SIOUX, KIOWA, AND COMANCHE, BUT ALWAYS UNFRIENDLY TO THE SHOSHONE AND PAWNEE. BY 1868 THEY WERE PLACED ON A RESERVATION WITH SHOSHONI IN WYOMING DUE TO LOOSING THEIR LAND.

TODAY THE NORTHERN ARAPAHO LIVE ON WIND RIVER RESERVATION NEAR LANDER, WYOMING. IT HAS 2.2 MILLION ACRE RESERVE AND IS SHARED BY EASTERN SHOSHONI AND NORTHERN ARAPAHO. ONE SIFGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THEIR INDUSTRIES IS THAT MANY HAVE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SO THAT THEIR COMPANIES FOR ECOTOURISM, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, POWER GENERATION, OIL, GAS AND MINERAL DEVELOPMENT ARE VALUABLE.

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