Cheyenne

:This article is about the Native American people; for other uses see Cheyenne (disambiguation).

Early History and Culture

Nothing is absolutely known about the Cheyenne people/culture prior to the 16th Century. Much of Cheyenne history study starts at the 16th century.

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The earliest known official record of the Cheyenne occured during the mid-1600's. A group of Cheyenne had visited Fort Crevecoeur, near present-day Chicago. During the 1600/1700's, the Cheyenne moved from the Great Lakes region to present day Minnesota and North Dakota and established villages. The most prominent of these ancient villages is Biesterfeldt Village, in eastern North Dakota along the Sheyenne River. The Cheyenne also came into contact with the neighboring Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara nations and adopted many cultural characteristics of these peoples. In 1804, a Cheyenne village was visited by Lewis and Clark during their expedition through North Dakota. Pressure from migrating Lakota and Ojibwa nations was forcing the Cheyenne to move further west. By the mid 1800's, the Cheyenne had largely abandoned their sedentary/agricultural and pottery traditions and fully adopted the classic nomadic Plains culture. Tipis replaced earth lodges, and the main diet switched from fish/agricultural produce to mainly bison and wild fruits/vegetables. During this time, the Cheyenne also moved into Wyoming, Colorado and South Dakota.

Related Topics:
Great Lakes - Minnesota - North Dakota - Mandan - Hidatsa - Arikara - 1804 - Lewis and Clark - Lakota - Ojibwa - Wyoming - Colorado - South Dakota

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Cheyenne society organization has been of contentious discussions among anthropologists. By the time the Cheyenne fully adapted to the classic Plains culture, they had developed a bi-lateral band kinship system. However, other anthropologists note that the Cheyenne had a matrilineal band system. Studies into whether the Cheyenne ever developed a matrilineal clan system are still inconclusive.

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The traditional Cheyenne government system is one of the prime examples of a politically unified North American indigenous nation. Most other nations were divided into bands, the main difference with the Cheyenne is the fact that the Cheyenne bands were politically unified. Most other bands of other nations had political autonomy. The central traditional government system of the Cheyenne is known as the "Council of Forty-four." The name denoted the number of seated chiefs on the council. Each band had 4 seated chief delegates, the remaining 4 chiefs were the principal advisors of the other delegates. This system also regulated the many societies that developed. These societies were responsible for warfare planning, policing/enforcing of laws/rules, and conduction of ceremonies. This governing system was developed by the time the CHeyenne reached the Great Plains.

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