Indigenous Tribes & Culture: How Colonialism and Borderlands Affected Tribal Nations

The Cheyenne Tribe

The Cheyenne Tribe originated in what is now known the Great Lakes of America. It wasn't until around the 16th century that they become nomadic and move West and begin life on the Great Plains and what is now Wyoming. As time went on in these new spaces, the Cheyenne would begin to trade with other tribes and would integrate horses into their way of life. Horses would give them an edge as hunters, as well as being a powerful tribe to the surrounding ones, as well as important figures in the trade system. Horses were not always in the possession of the Cheyenne, and they were hesitant at first to introduce them to their dynamics.

    Maheo, All-Father Creator, Warns the Cheyenne about Life with Horses, helps us understand how tribes like the Cheyenne perceived the introduction of horses. In the story, it describes an interaction between the Comanches coming to meet the Cheyenne on horseback. Amazed with these curious new animals the Comanche were riding, the Cheyenne wanted to know where they got them. “From the Pueblos” the Comanches said, “they have lots of horses”. The story then moves into the Comanche telling the Cheyenne about how they stole them from the Pueblos, which according to this story, was not far off from how the Comanche interacted, as they were considered to be gamblers and risk takers. The Cheyenne then begin to decide whether or not they should too utilize horses, and go to Maheo, their god, to pray and fast for 4 days. At first Maheo warns the Cheyenne of horses and how it will change their lives forever. Maheo says to the priests “you will have to move around a lot to find pasture for your horses. You will have to give up gardening and live by hunting and gathering, like the Comanches...You will have to fight with other tribes who will want your pasture land or the places where you hunt. You will have to have real soldiers who can protect the people”. The priests fasted and prayed another four days before making the decision to ask Maheo to teach them the new ways of life with horses, and so, horses are utilized by the Cheyenne tribe. This choice would forever alter the Cheynne nation, and would evolve their interactions with other tribes and commerce with new White and European settlers in their region.

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