The 'Sagebrush People' have a dramatic history. The Northern Arapaho tribe is a division of a once mighty people group; there is also a southern remnant. Today the northern branch lives on the Wind River Indian Reservation, originally given to the Shoshones but the designated refuge for the Arapaho since the Treaty of 1868.
This federally recognized tribe is its own nation, with its own independent government. Since 2005, the little country has operated Wyoming's largest hotel, joined to a high stakes casino. The Wind River Casino provides revenues and employment opportunities to tribal members. The tribal council hopes that life will improve, with better jobs, education, and medical care.
The colorful history of these natives began at least 3000 years ago in Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada. An agricultural society, they were gradually pushed to the northern Great Plains by invading tribes and became a nomadic people. Scholars think that five main sub-tribes developed, each with its own dialect of the original Algonquian language.
The tribes shared the Plains with the Cheyenne, with whom they formed an alliance. Both peoples benefited from the acquisition of the horse in the early 18th century. Roaming from Oklahoma and Kansas to Colorado and Montana, these nomads developed a complex social structure, with a rich spiritual life and efficient camp social order based on the warrior, with prowess in battle and hunting the key to prominence.
The Arapaho were mostly peaceful toward early traders and explorers, coming to the trading posts and sharing their knowledge of the terrain. However, they resented settlers either stopping on or crossing their land. The fierce warriors struck terror in the hearts of the pioneers, who banded together for safety as they headed further west. Several influential chiefs saw the wisdom of seeking peace with the invaders, however.
Unfortunately, history records much deceit and hostility on the part of American leaders, both in the military and in government. The Sand Creek Massacre, when soldiers attacked a sleeping camp of mostly women and children, is one of the bloodiest examples of this. The Treaty of 1851 granted them a wide territory, but the Treaty of 1868 forced them onto a barren piece of Wyoming.
Visitors who want to get up close and personal with history can visit the Wind River Reservation and the Arapaho Cultural Center. This storehouse of artifacts and treasury of traditional handicrafts is located in a former mission. Visitors can see and even engage in the traditional arts. A virtual museum found online at windrivervirtualmuseum.org has great photographs of artifacts and explanations of their use and/or significance.
Much of the tribal culture is familiar, since it was romantic and colorful enough to enter into folklore and be recorded in Hollywood movies and pulp fiction. 'Counting coup', the act of touching an enemy or seizing a possession, gained a warrior respect. Powerful societies within the tribe gave members standing and authority. Hunting was a prized skill, feeding the people and providing materials for everything from clothing to tipi decorations. War paint made both horse and rider fearsome to see and granted spiritual protection in battle.
This federally recognized tribe is its own nation, with its own independent government. Since 2005, the little country has operated Wyoming's largest hotel, joined to a high stakes casino. The Wind River Casino provides revenues and employment opportunities to tribal members. The tribal council hopes that life will improve, with better jobs, education, and medical care.
The colorful history of these natives began at least 3000 years ago in Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada. An agricultural society, they were gradually pushed to the northern Great Plains by invading tribes and became a nomadic people. Scholars think that five main sub-tribes developed, each with its own dialect of the original Algonquian language.
The tribes shared the Plains with the Cheyenne, with whom they formed an alliance. Both peoples benefited from the acquisition of the horse in the early 18th century. Roaming from Oklahoma and Kansas to Colorado and Montana, these nomads developed a complex social structure, with a rich spiritual life and efficient camp social order based on the warrior, with prowess in battle and hunting the key to prominence.
The Arapaho were mostly peaceful toward early traders and explorers, coming to the trading posts and sharing their knowledge of the terrain. However, they resented settlers either stopping on or crossing their land. The fierce warriors struck terror in the hearts of the pioneers, who banded together for safety as they headed further west. Several influential chiefs saw the wisdom of seeking peace with the invaders, however.
Unfortunately, history records much deceit and hostility on the part of American leaders, both in the military and in government. The Sand Creek Massacre, when soldiers attacked a sleeping camp of mostly women and children, is one of the bloodiest examples of this. The Treaty of 1851 granted them a wide territory, but the Treaty of 1868 forced them onto a barren piece of Wyoming.
Visitors who want to get up close and personal with history can visit the Wind River Reservation and the Arapaho Cultural Center. This storehouse of artifacts and treasury of traditional handicrafts is located in a former mission. Visitors can see and even engage in the traditional arts. A virtual museum found online at windrivervirtualmuseum.org has great photographs of artifacts and explanations of their use and/or significance.
Much of the tribal culture is familiar, since it was romantic and colorful enough to enter into folklore and be recorded in Hollywood movies and pulp fiction. 'Counting coup', the act of touching an enemy or seizing a possession, gained a warrior respect. Powerful societies within the tribe gave members standing and authority. Hunting was a prized skill, feeding the people and providing materials for everything from clothing to tipi decorations. War paint made both horse and rider fearsome to see and granted spiritual protection in battle.
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If you would like to to learn more about the culture and traditions, both the past and the present, of the Northern Arapaho tribe, click this link. For specific details on music, battles, and clans, visit http://www.arapaholegend.com today.
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