answersLogoWhite

0

The Cheyenne tribal leadership was, like that of most native tribes, much more complex than people today think. Most people (such as yourself) 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) from an early date 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 war 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 authority, but a great deal of responsibility.

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

A treaty was concluded with several Cheyenne chiefs in 1825 - these are listed as:

Sho-e-mow-e-to-chaw-ca-we-wah-ca-to-we, or the wolf with the high back

We-che-gal-la, or the Little Moon

Ta-ton-ca-pa, or the Buffalo Head

J-a-pu, or the one who walks against the others

Some of the Cheyenne leaders were contacted and painted in the 1830s by the explorer and artist George Catlin; these included Né-hee-ó-ee-wóo-tis (Wolf on the Hill or High Wolf) who may be the same chief as the first named above.

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

What massacre occurred in the Colorado Territory when soldiers attacked a sleeping Indian Village?

Sand Creek Massacre led by Chivington Nov 1864


Was there a massacre of Cheyenne Indians at Sand Creek?

Yes. On November 29, 1864 Colonel John Chivington led an attack on around 100 peaceful Cheyenne Indians. Most in the camp were killed.


Who is general chivington?

There was no General Chivington. Colonel Chivington led the Union Militia at the Sand Creek Massacre in the Southwest.


Who led the Colorado militia in 1864 against the cheyenne?

In 1864, the Colorado militia was led by Colonel John Chivington during the Sand Creek Massacre, where his forces attacked a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho village. The assault resulted in the deaths of many Native American men, women, and children and is widely regarded as a tragic and brutal event in U.S. history. Chivington's actions were later condemned, and he faced significant backlash for his role in the massacre.


In 1864 Colorado militia led by john chivington killed over 100 native Americans in a cheyenne village at sand creek?

true


What occurred at Sand Creek under the leadership of U.S. Colonel John Chivington?

he led a massacre of 133 native americans, including women and children


When did Sand Creek massacre happen?

Where Colonel John Chivington led a force of mostly volunteer militiamen which slaughtered hundreds of indians, mostly women and children, and mutilated the bodies taking limbs and organs as trophies which they displayed at the Denver Opera House to a cheering crowd. The Sand Creek Massacre (also known as the Chivington Massacre, the Battle of Sand Creek or the Massacre of Cheyenne Indians) was an incident in the Indian Wars of the United States that occurred on November 29, 1864, when a 700-man force of Colorado Territory militia attacked and destroyed a village of friendly Cheyenne and Arapaho encamped in southeastern Colorado Territory, killing and torturing an estimated 70-163 Indians, about two-thirds of them were women and children. Surprisingly, Chivington was a Methodist minister. And, to make matters worse he used artillery on the village. The location has been designated a National Historic Site and is now the National Park Service.


Who was the Native American leader that survived the Sand Creek Massacre?

It was Black kettle... Chief Black Kettle a Cheyenne, Moke-tav-a-to (born ca. 1803, killed November 27, 1868) was a leader of the Southern Cheyenne after 1854, he led efforts to resist white American settlement from Kansas and Colorado territories. He was a peacemaker who accepted treaties to protect his people. He survived the Third Colorado Cavalry's Sand Creek Massacre on the Cheyenne reservation in 1864. He and his wife were among those killed in 1868 at the Battle of Washita River, in a US Army attack on their camp by George Armstrong Custer.


Who led the attack on pottawatomie creek to retaliate?

John Brown led the attack on Pottawatomie Creek to retaliate against pro-slavery forces in Kansas in 1856. The attack, known as the Pottawatomie massacre, resulted in the killing of five pro-slavery settlers.


How was the Cheyenne tribe affected by Manifest Destiny?

The Cheyenne tribe was significantly affected by Manifest Destiny as westward expansion led to the encroachment on their ancestral lands. This resulted in violent conflicts, such as the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864, where many Cheyenne were killed by U.S. troops. Additionally, the U.S. government's policies aimed at assimilation and relocation further disrupted their traditional way of life, leading to loss of culture and resources. Overall, Manifest Destiny contributed to the marginalization and suffering of the Cheyenne people.


What happened in warrigal creek massacre?

The Warrigal Creek massacre was a retaliatory killing led by a Scottish immigrant and early explorer in the region, Angus McMillan, for whom the Australian federal electorate of McMillan is now named. After the death of Ronald Macallister in Portland at the hands of the local tribes, McMillan lead a group of locals out and killed an estimated 150 aborigines.


Leader of the Cheyenne who were massacred at Sad Creek?

The Sand Creek massacre was an incident in the Indian Wars of the United States that occurred on November 29, 1864, when a 700-man force of Colorado Territory militia attacked and destroyed a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho encamped in southeastern Colorado Territory, killing and mutilating an estimated 70-163 Indians, about two-thirds of whom were women and children. Chief Black Kettle was a leader of the Southern Cheyenne after 1854, who led efforts to resist white American settlement from Kansas and Colorado territories. He and his wife were among those killed in 1868 at the Battle of Washita River, in a US Army attack on their camp by George Armstrong Custer.