Cheyenne, Cheyenne (English Cheyenne) - Native American people in the United States. The name Cheyenne comes from the Sioux word Šahíyela, meaning Speakers in red (incomprehensible) speech or People speaking in a foreign language. The self-name of the tribe is Tsétsêhéstâhese (Tsistsistas) - Similar to us, our people. Currently, the Cheyenne is divided into the northern - Notameohmesehese - Northern Eaters and southern - Heevahetane - People of the Rope.
Traditional religion and tribal shrines
The Pantheon is headed by the deity Ma'heo'o, the Creator of All That Is, the original source of everything in the world.
On Mount Noavose (Novavose) there was a meeting between Maheo and the Scented Magic (Motseeone), the great Cheyenne prophet. Scented Magic returned to his people, organized military societies and the Council of Forty-Four Chiefs. During his life, Scented Magic left prophecies and instructions to his people. Mahuts received Scented Magic from Maheo, Cheyenne at different times fought Sioux, Ojibway, Cree, Assiniboin, Blackfoot, Sarsi, Crow, Grovanthras, Utes, Shoshone, Bannocks, Arikars, Hidats, Mandans, Ponks, Kansas, Oto, Missouri, Omaha, Osage, Comanches, Pawnee, Kiowa and Kiowa Apaches, Potawatomi, Sauk and Fox. Both white and Native American contemporaries considered the Cheyenne to be one of the most fierce and brave fighters. When asked which warriors of the hostile Crow tribes were the bravest, the leader of Many Feats, without hesitation, replied that they were Cheyenne. Captain William Clarke wrote in 1881: “They (Cheyenne. - Author) fought bravely for their country, and their history of recent years has been written in blood. The innocent settlers experienced brutal violence at their hands … and they themselves were hunted down like wolves and killed like mad dogs … At first, the Cheyenne were friendly to white people,but later became one of the greatest horrors of the border. In the first half of the 19th century, the tribe divided into two branches - northern and southern. From 1860 to 1878, the Cheyenne took an active part in the wars with the Americans, along with the Kiows and Comanches in the south, and with the Sioux in the north.
The Cheyenne's relationship with white people was initially friendly. When, in 1839, several Lakota men were captured on the Oregon Trail on the South Platte River, about 400 Cheyenne appeared in the village of their allies and rescued the whites. In 1841, the Cheyenne, Lakota, and Arapaho attacked the eastern Shoshone village, which was home to white hunters. The trappers fought on the side of the Shoshone. Irritated by their losses in a fight with the Cheyenne trappers, the Arapaho and Lakota surveyed the Oregon Trail in search of white men. Near Independence Rock, they surrounded Elijah White's caravan, led by the famous Thomas Fitzpatrick. The Indians conferred all night - to attack the settlers or not. Most of the warriors were in favor of the attack. Finally, the chiefs informed Fitzpatrick that his party could continue, but warned him,that caravans will no longer be allowed to pass through their country, that this path is closed, and that any white people found here will be killed. Clashes between the Cheyenne and the Americans continued, but a large-scale war had not yet begun.
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When there was a war with the Indians in the West, almost no battle was complete without the participation of at least a few "fighting Cheyenne". They were with Red Cloud in the defeat of Futterman and in the assault on the wagons, many of them taking part in the Battle of Little Big Horn.
However, the defeat of General Custer's 7th Cavalry was the last great Indian victory in the northern plains. After this battle, a strong group of US forces was concentrated against the Indians. The American army inflicted one crushing defeat after another on the Indians and destroyed their villages.
The Northern Cheyenne were hard hit and were forced to surrender after troops attacked their winter camp and destroyed all the wigwams, food and clothing supplies. They were promised a reservation in the north. Instead, they were sent south, nearly a thousand miles from their homelands, to an area so unhealthy that many of them died in the first year from fever and hunger. The Cheyenne survivors, sick, hungry and ragged, realized that the same fate awaited them all. Several times they appealed to the authorities with a request to allow them to return to their lands, but to no avail.
Finally, the Cheyenne's patience came to an end. In July 1878 Little Wolf, the warlord, expressed the feelings of his people when he told the authorities, “I want to get out of here. I'm going north to my country. If you send soldiers after me, let me go a short distance from here. If you want to fight, I will fight with you, and we will stain the place of battle with blood."
DULL KNIFE AND LITTLE WOLF GO HOME
Almost 300 Cheyenne went on the legendary campaign. Of these, only 80 were warriors. The rest are old men, women and children. Ahead were hundreds of miles of path through the country, where large military forces with artillery were located, fortified forts stood, and farmers, cattle breeders, miners, and in general the entire border population were extremely hostile to the Indians.
The very first and foremost concern of the Little Wolf was to get horses and weapons. Raids on farms and ranches made it possible to capture the right number of horses. Sometimes it was possible to get cartridges and rifles in one place or another. Several times during this unparalleled campaign, the soldiers, who followed the Indians on the heels, attacked them, but the Indians always fought off the attack and moved on. The well-armed detachment from Fort Dodge was forced to retreat, and the colonel in command was killed. In some incredible way, the Indians continued to push forward, avoiding clashes where possible, but fighting with desperate courage when attacked.
Crossing the North Platte River, the old chief Dull Knife felt at home and did not go any further. Many Indians, exhausted by the long journey, remained with him. Little Wolf and his followers decided to continue their journey. So these two groups parted. And this can only be regretted.
In late October, Dull Knife and his men were discovered by cavalry among the sandy hills of Nebraska. The Indians looked pitiful. Ragged, emaciated and suffering from the cold, the Cheyenne surrendered and were taken to Fort Robinson, where they had to wait for the government to decide their fate.
LATEST CHYENES
The tragic events that took place at Fort Robinson are a gruesome example of what erroneous Indian government policies can lead to.
At first, the Indians were treated well and enjoyed relative freedom. Meanwhile, messages and instructions were exchanged between the fort and Washington by telegraph. Finally, after a few weeks, the decision on the fate of the Indians was made. They had to go back south. Blunt Knife replied, "You can kill us here, but we will not go back." Attempts to convince the Indians have failed. The infuriated Captain Wessels locked the prisoners in the barracks and deprived them of food and water, hoping it would force them to agree with the government's decision. The answer was the same: they would rather die than go back.
On a cold January night, the Cheyenne attacked the guards, seized rifles and cartridges, escaped from the barracks and rushed through the deep snow to the cliff. The soldiers pursued them. By morning, many Indians, too weak to run far, were caught or killed. 50 frozen bodies were found in the snow. Several days passed before all losses were identified. 64 Cheyenne were killed and 78 were caught. 11 soldiers were killed and 10 wounded.
The Little Wolf warriors were more fortunate. The next year they were discovered by the army, but by then the policy towards the Indians had changed, and they were eventually assigned a reservation in Montana. So they managed to return home.
Cheyenne ceremonies and religious concepts
MASSAUM
The most ancient sacred ceremony of ciscistas (Cheyenne), which various informants correlate either with the Opposite, or with the rite of animals, or with an agricultural ritual. The name MASSAUM comes from the Cheyenne word massa'ne - "madman", a membership of the Hohnuhkuh - Opposites, their unusual healing method and other tricks. The MASSAUM ceremony was brought to the Cheyenne by the great prophet SOUL MAGIC, who was the first to conduct it on NOAHA-VOSE, the sacred BEAR MOUNTAIN.
Tribal groups of ciscistas gather in the summer for the annual ceremony to renew the sacred covenant. The ceremony, which ritually demonstrates the act of creating the universe, takes place over five days. Ritual elements include setting up a sacred tent, cleansing in a sweating room, symbolizing all kinds of animals, ritual hunting, teaching hunting rules, and depicting day and night. Religious activities every day are accompanied by sacred songs, ritual incense, symbolic painting, dedication and prayer. The ceremony is attended by vows, priests and assistants. Informants report that the last MASSAUM among the northern Cheyenne was in 1911 and among the southern in 1927. Among the reasons that led to the disappearance of the practice of MASSAUM are reservations,government and missionary opposition to indigenous rituals; and extermination of bison and other animals. The keeper of the SACRED ARROWS, SAND CRANE, was one of the priests who helped carry out this ceremony in 1911.
MAHEO
According to Cheyenne beliefs, he is the creator of the universe. It was he, through the prophet SOUL MAGIC, who gave the SACRED ARROWS and the code of laws to the Cheyenne on BEAR MOUNTAIN, or Noahe-vose. On another sacred mountain, he gave the STRAIGHT HORNS, the cultural hero sakhtai, the SACRED BIZON CAP. Death lives in peace with MAHEO in Seana - the land of the dead. I must say that the name of the Creator in Cheyenne is pronounced differently, as well as the translation of this concept into English.
BEAR MOUNTAIN
Cheyenne and Lakota shrine. It is located near Sturgis, South Dakota, on the eastern ridge of the Black Hills, which are considered sacred by the American Indians. For millennia, both the Lakota and Cheyenne have carried out their most important religious activities in the Black Hills, including the pursuit of visions, divination, and the Sun Dance. The Cheyenne called the Bear Mountain NOAHA-VOSE (another pronunciation of Nowah'wus is a word from the lexicon of the ciscistas translated as “the place where people were trained”) and considered it their shrine, because it was on it that the contact between the Creator and the prophet SOUL MAGIC took place. The Lakota called it Paha Wakan or Mato Paha, and for many generations of this people, it was a place for prayer, fasting, seeking visions and spiritual inspiration, where they went directly to the Creator.
Today Bear Mountain still attracts the Indians of the USA and Canada, who come throughout the year to conduct ceremonies and seek visions. At the same time, the flags of worshipers and offerings to the Great Spirit cover the slopes of the mountain. Located in the south of the Dakota National Park. Not so long ago, the construction of a tourist complex worried about the tranquility of the mountain and now it can be visited by 100 thousand people annually. Tourists often interfere with Indian pilgrims who need to be in peace and solitude. Highways, parking lots and observation decks transform the practice of worship into a spectacle. In 1982, the Ministry of the Interior transferred Black Hills to the development of coal and uranium. Closely residing tribes issued a demand to prohibit development and opposed government institutions,whose activities threatened their right to worship in Black Hills and Bear Mountain.
THE ELECTED WOMEN, or THOSE WHO ARE ELECTED
Women who are members of the guild for the manufacture of sacred ornaments from porcupine needles for clothing and tents, which were later embroidered with beads. Each guild consisted mainly of holy women, to whom the sacred bundle belonged.
RITUAL OF THE TENT OF THE SPIRIT
A sacred ritual that can be associated with the Tent of the Spirit of Noah-vose, the sacred mountain where the prophet SOUL MAGIC was trained by the Creator. One of several forms that have survived to this day is carried out by a priest or shaman with the aim of summoning spirits that either help in something or inform about something. Reminiscent of the Shamans' practice of the Shaking Tent of the Algonquian tribal group or the Yuvipi Lakota ceremony. This ritual is performed either independently or as part of other ceremonies, including the ceremony of renewing the SACRED ARROWS. Held in a spirit tent usually involves binding the shaman, singing sacred songs, invoking the spirits, arriving the spirits, unleashing the shaman, and communicating with the spirits. The shaman not only receives answers to important life questions, but also prophecies.
SACRED ARROWS
One of the most sacred Cheyenne possessions. The Supreme Being MAHEO on the sacred mountain Noaha-vose gave four arrows to the great prophet SOUL MAGIC. During his time with the Cheyenne, he gave them the Sacred Arrows, and also gave laws and prophecies. The Sacred Arrows are known among the Cheyenne as Maahotse (also Mahuts - derived from Maheo - the Creator). Apart from blessing the people and uniting them as Cheyenne, the Sacred Arrows symbolize masculine strength. Two of them are the so-called human arrows, and the other two are buffalo.
Described as one of the great talismans of the Cheyenne (the other being the SACRED BIZON HAT), they seem to be the living embodiment of spiritual power. In the past, when Sacred Arrows and Sacred Cap were taken into battle, they were said to have blinded enemies with their power. One of the worst tragedies in Cheyenne history is the capture of the Skidi Pawnee Sacred Arrows around 1830, when WHITE THUNDER was the guardian, which began a long period of disaster. The new arrows were made with the participation of such holy people as BUZINA and RAD MULE.
According to the teachings of SOUL MAGIC, the arrows were renewed whenever the people were sick or fell into a streak of failure, the renewal ceremony was described as "the most important religious rite of the Cheyenne." They were also updated when a Cheyenne killed a tribesman. People believed that the murder stained Arrows in blood, in this case it was necessary to renew and restore the unity of the people. In the past, the Cheyenne say, this ceremony was an exact replica of what the SPIRIT MAGIC was taught in Noaha-vose when one of the leaders of the Council of Forty-Four took a vow to conduct it, but this practice changed during the reservation period.
Any Cheyenne who faced great difficulties in his life had the right to vow to conduct this ceremony. In addition to spiritual preparation, the person who made the vow collected offerings, gifts, and food in one place. According to tradition, he could announce an upcoming renewal ceremony after the first spring thunder. And until this rite was completed this year, no other ceremony could take place. The extensive ritual usually followed by the priests of the Sacred Arrows usually involved four preparatory days and four days of immediate renewal.
The keepers who performed their duties in the past were STONE LOB and BLACK CHAW DOG. The guardians of the 20th century were the MAGIC MOTHER, EDWARD REDHAT, and the BALD TWINS. The Guardian in his duties was assisted by the Woman of the Guardian of the Sacred Arrows.
SACRED HAT
The Sacred Cap is one of the two great Cheyenne talismans, second after the SACRED ARROWS. It is the life embodiment of spiritual strength. In the Cheyenne language, it is designated by the word Esevone, which also means a herd of bison. It was brought by the great prophet and cultural hero Sakhtai Tomsivsi - Straight Horns, who in turn received it from the Supreme Being MAHEO on the sacred mountain in the north. When the two kindred groups united from the Sahtai, the Cheyenne acquired the Sacred Bison Hat and the Sun Dance ceremony. Together with the spiritual gift - the Sacred Cap, which was made from the scalp with the horns of the bison, the people received the blessing of renewal and prosperity.
Author: Sergey Kuznetsov.
The article uses a drawing by Willy Melnikov.