Tuesday 28 April 2015

Understanding More About The Arapahos

By Toni Vang


The Indian tribes are a part of American history and it is interesting to find out where they are today. The Arapahos were affected like the other tribes by the expansion to the west. Today they live in both Wyoming and Oklahoma, together with other tribes. Those in Wyoming live together with the Shoshone who granted them land. In Oklahoma they live together with the Cheyenne tribe. They have a government, police service, legal system and other services of their own but they are also United States citizens and subject to United States laws.

Many Indians speak English today. One of the consequences of the merging of tribes is that the individual languages have became increasingly endangered and the children are no longer learning them. However, there are those dedicated to keeping the Arapaho language alive.

These tribes used to hunt and grow corn but once horses were introduced by Europeans, they became expert riders and left their corn growing days behind. The fact that they could travel greater distances more speedily meant they could hunt more productively and trade more too. The horse became an important object of wealth for exchanging, trading and raiding.

It was in the late spring that they would emerge from their winter camps to follow the great buffalo herds who gathered for the calving season. They would go on communal hunts and various ceremonies were held. In the fall, the herds would gather again for the rutting season and collective hunts were made to get food and hides for the approaching winter. The men also used bows and arrows to hunt deer, moose, elk, antelope and other small game throughout the year. The meat was either cooked in pits or dried. The women used to gather roots, berries and other plants to eat.

They used every part of the buffalo they killed. The hides were used to make teepees and it was the job of the women to prepare them. They would scrape them, tan them and then stitch them together with an awl, using animal sinew as thread. Teepees were simply constructed with hides and poles so they could be set up and dismantled easily. This was necessary as the tribe did not stay in one place for long.

The clothing worn by men and women was also made from animal hides. The men would wear a breach-cloth and leggings while the women wore buckskin dresses. Both sexes braided their hair and the men decorated their heads with feathers. They both wore moccasins and robes made of buffalo hide. On special occasions, faces were painted with bright colors.

Decoration was important to these people and clothing, bags, moccasins and even teepees showed their creative skills. They used beads, paint, feathers and dyed porcupine quills. The men would make the items they used for ceremonies, hunting and caring for their horses and the women made and decorated domestic items.

Today, teepees are only put up for fun or to connect with their heritage, but most Indians live in houses with all the modern conveniences. They wear modern clothing and only bring out their ceremonial dress on special occasions. However, this does not mean they have forgotten their history and many of them still proudly maintain their traditions.




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