Cheyenne Indians

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The Cheyenne Indians were a nomadic tribe who were known for their strong warriors, creative women, and religious beliefs.
The Cheyenne Indian tribe had a history of movement and separation. From the 1600’s to the beginning of the 1800’s, the Cheyenne Indians dwelled in Minnesota and North and South Dakota. In Minnesota, the tribe lived around the five Great Lakes and they also lived in the eastern parts of the Dakotas. In the early 1800’s, great movement of the Cheyenne tribe occurred. Different tribes nudges the Cheyenne toward the western parts of the country as they took over the Cheyenne’s land. This caused them to be located in various parts of South Dakota and also into Wyoming. Shortly after this move, the Cheyenne split into the Northern Cheyenne and the Southern Cheyenne. The splitting of the tribe had a big impact on the Cheyenne, even until today. Some of both the Northern and Southern Cheyenne were put on reservations in Oklahoma. Around the 2000’s, the Cheyenne lived on the Great Plains, and they continue to live there today.
The Cheyenne tribe was a religious group who had countless ways of portraying their beliefs. They believed in a god they called “Heammawihio.” This god supposedly taught the tribe hunting skills, along with skills of harvesting, planting, and using fire. Like most of society in the 21st century, the tribe believed humans and animals had spirits. Unlike today’s society, they believed that plants had spirits also. They believed in a spirit of the earth and they prayed to him consistently. The Cheyenne thought praying to this spirit would help with their crops and also to heal anyone who was sick. The main religious ceremony the Cheyenne people performed was called The Sun Dance, also known as...

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...ld act. Although there was not an absolute ruler, the Sweet Medicine Chief was the closest thing the Cheyenne tribe had to a ruler. The Council of Forty-Four was composed of men, but women of the Cheyenne also contributed to their life ways immensely. The women worked with the earth by getting foods, such as berries and roots, from the gardens. They also cooked the meat that the men hunted and the women made clothing, furniture, and tepees for the tribe. Along with cooking and gathering food, the women also cared for the home and their children. Some of the animals hunted by the men of the Cheyenne were antelope, deer, and elk. The men also used to spend their time fighting other people to protect their own tribe.
The Cheyenne Tribe took their military very seriously. They created five divisions of society which were called: Bowstring, Dog, Elk, Kit-Fox, and Shield.

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