Who is the leader of the Dakota tribe?

Answer 1

The Cheyenne people were first recorded by European explorers in the area of the upper Red River in Minnesota, before 1700. The Cheyenne people are still in existence today, so for them to have only one "leader" he would need to be well over 311 years old.

The Cheyenne tribal leadership was, like that of most native tribes, much more complex than people today think. Most people believe that each tribe was headed by a single supreme chief who behaved and was treated like a king - this is completely false.

The Cheyenne tribe was (unusually among Plains tribes) a politically unified nation. At its head was the "Keeper of the Sacred Arrows" who would have to be replaced from time to time, then a council of 44 chiefs, 4 from each of the 10 Cheyenne bands plus 4 advisers. Below these were the chiefs of the warrior societies such as the Dog Soldiers, the Bowstrings, the Fox society and the (Red) Shield society.

The warrior society leaders were entirely responsible for discipline within the tribe (acting as a kind of police force), for controlling hunts, supervising ceremonies and for military decisions and leadership.

So, although the "Keeper of the Sacred Arrows" is at the top of this hierarchy and he might be considered a "head chief" by visiting (ignorant) white men, he actually held very little power or responsibility.

White Americans talk about "chiefs" as if they were all of the same rank, but clearly they were not.

Some notable chiefs of the Cheyenne are:

• Dull Knife
• Porcupine (known to white Americans as White Shield)
• Tall Bull (a chief of Dog Soldiers)
• Black Kettle
• American Horse (not the Lakota of the same name)
• Comes in Sight
• Two Moons
• Bull Bear (a chief of Dog Soldiers)
• Crazy Head
• Flat Iron
• Lame White Man
• Little Horse
• Little Wolf
• Roman Nose (or Hump Nose)
• Strong Left Hand
• White Bull
• White Hawk
• White Shield
• Wolf Robe

Answer 2

Chief Black Kettle