The Cheyenne Indian Tribe: History, Culture, and Legacy

Who Are the Cheyenne?

The Cheyenne are a Native American tribe with deep roots on the Great Plains. Their story is one of courage, survival, and change. Long before settlers arrived, the Cheyenne lived in the upper Midwest. Over time, they moved west to the plains of present-day Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and the Dakotas.

Traditionally, the Cheyenne were divided into ten bands, each made up of extended families. This band system allowed the tribe to move seasonally, hunt buffalo, and adapt to changing conditions on the Plains. Over time, the Cheyenne became known as skilled horse riders and warriors, which gave them an important place in Plains history.

Federally and State Recognized Cheyenne Tribes

There are two main federally recognized Cheyenne tribes. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe lives in Montana. The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes live in Oklahoma. These are the only Cheyenne tribes officially recognized by the U.S. government. As of now, there are no state-recognized Cheyenne tribes.

The division between Northern and Southern Cheyenne began in the 19th century, when pressures from warfare, treaties, and U.S. government policies caused the tribe to split. The Northern Cheyenne chose to remain in their Montana homelands, while the Southern Cheyenne were eventually moved to Indian Territory, today’s Oklahoma, where they joined the Arapaho. This separation continues to shape Cheyenne identity today.

Where Do the Cheyenne Live Today?

Most Northern Cheyenne people live on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana. This land covers about 440,000 acres, with Lame Deer as its headquarters. In Oklahoma, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes share a reservation area in the western part of the state, near towns like Concho and Watonga. Some Cheyenne live in cities across the U.S., but many return home for ceremonies and family events.

Both communities maintain strong ties to traditional culture and language, with efforts to teach Cheyenne to younger generations through immersion schools, cultural events, and storytelling. Although many live outside their reservations, Cheyenne identity continues to connect people through shared traditions, powwows, and intertribal gatherings.

Political Structure and Leadership

Cheyenne tribes have a unique political system. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe has a tribal council, including a president and elected members, who make decisions for the community. The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma have a similar setup. Traditionally, Cheyenne leaders were chosen by elders for their wisdom and courage, not just by popular vote. Chiefs led with advice from the Council of Forty-Four, a group of respected men who helped keep peace and order.

Alongside the Council of Forty-Four were military societies, such as the Dog Soldiers, who played a central role in defending the tribe and enforcing community rules. These groups balanced each other: the council worked for peace and diplomacy, while the military societies protected the people in times of war. This dual system made Cheyenne political life highly organized compared to many Plains tribes.

Spiritual Beliefs and Ceremonies

The Cheyenne believe in Maheo, the Great Spirit, who created the world and everything in it. Nature is sacred, and many traditions honor animals, plants, and the land. The Sun Dance is the most important ceremony, showing strength, sacrifice, and connection to the divine. Other ceremonies mark seasons, honor warriors, and celebrate important life events.

Another sacred tradition is the Arrow Renewal Ceremony, which centers on the Four Sacred Arrows of the Cheyenne. These arrows symbolize hunting, war, and the tribe’s spiritual covenant with Maheo. Renewal of the arrows maintains balance, health, and prosperity for the people. Such ceremonies continue to be practiced, reflecting the Cheyenne’s deep spiritual ties to their history and land.

Cheyenne Economy and Industry Today

On the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, the economy is based on farming, ranching, forestry, and tribal businesses. Some Cheyenne work in health care, education, and government offices. In Oklahoma, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes operate casinos, smoke shops, and tribal enterprises that provide jobs for tribal members. Many Cheyenne also work outside the reservation in various industries.

Beyond the economic aspects, traditional skills like beadwork, horse training, and herbal medicine still provide value within the community, blending older practices with modern livelihoods.

Cheyenne Art, Crafts, and Cultural Heritage

Cheyenne artists are known for their beadwork, quillwork, and painted hides. These crafts often feature geometric patterns, animals, and symbols of Cheyenne life. Women have long created beautiful dresses, moccasins, and bags. Men made painted tipis, shields, and tools. Today, many Cheyenne artists sell their work at powwows and online, keeping traditions alive and sharing their heritage with the world.

Art also plays an important role in recording history. Painted hides and ledger art told stories of battles, hunts, and visions. This visual storytelling was especially important after the buffalo declined and artists began using paper, cloth, and canvas. Modern Cheyenne artists continue this legacy, adapting traditional symbols into contemporary art forms.

Famous Leaders and Struggles

Two of the most famous Cheyenne chiefs were Black Kettle and Dull Knife. They led their people through dark times as settlers and soldiers pushed west. The Cheyenne faced broken promises, forced removals, and deadly battles. One of the worst tragedies was the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864, when U.S. soldiers attacked a Cheyenne camp, killing many women and children.

Another key event was the Northern Cheyenne Exodus of 1878–79, when Dull Knife and his followers escaped Indian Territory to return to their Montana homeland. Despite severe hardship, their determination to return north eventually led to the establishment of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. These events highlight the resilience of the Cheyenne and their refusal to abandon their land and identity.

The Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876 also featured Cheyenne warriors alongside Lakota allies, fighting against U.S. forces under George Armstrong Custer. Their participation in this historic battle remains a powerful symbol of Native resistance on the Plains.

American Horse (Ve’ho’evo’ha or Ve’ho’evo’hame)

Son of Sitting Bear a.k.a. Three Bears, brother of the Cheyenne headman Tangle Hair. Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

He was a Northern Cheyenne who later surrendered at the Red Cloud Agency and was transferred to Indian Territory with other Cheyennes in May 1877. Not the famous Oglalla Sioux chief.

Beaver Heart – Northern Cheyenne warrior, present at Battle of Little Bighorn

Big Beaver (Homa’e Ôhma’haata or Ma’xêhoma’e) – Born about 1859. Was a young boy at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Black Moccasin –

Bobtail Horse (Va’kôhe’hamehe) – Elkhorn Scraper Society warrior, one of the first three Cheyenne to cross the river to meet Custer at Little Big Horn Battle.

Big Nose – Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Black Bear (Mo’ôhtaenahkohe) a.k.a. Closed Hand, Fist or Crippled Hand – Unmarried suicide warrior killed in hand to hand fighting with Custer’s troops, one of 7 Cheyenne killed in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Black Coyote – Northern Cheyenne warrior. Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, later captured by soldiers in 1878, and committed suicide in prison.

His wife, Buffalo Calf Road Woman (Muts i mi u na) rescued her brother, Chief Comes in Sight, in Crook’s fight on the Rosebud, June 17th. The Cheyenne named this battle “Where the girl saved her brother” (Kse-e se-wo-is-tan-i-we-i-tat-an-e).

Buffalo Calf Road Woman fought beside her husband in the Custer fight 8 days later, and afterward was renamed Brave Woman.

Black Crane

Chief Black Kettle – (Mo’ohtavetoo’o or Motavato) -(born ca. 1803, killed November 27, 1868) was a leader of the Southern Cheyenne after 1854.

He was known as a peacemaker who accepted numerous treaties to protect his people. He survived the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864.

His village on Sand Creek, Colorado, was attacked by a force of Colorado militia under Col. Chivington in 1864 and a large number of innocent men, women, and children were massacred and their bodies mutilated.

He and his wife were among those killed in 1868 at the Battle of Washita River, in a US Army attack on their camp by George Armstrong Custer and his troops. They were shot in the back while trying to flee across the river.
Black Kettle Quotes

Braided Hair a.k.a. Brady – Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Brave Bear – Southern Cheyenne warrior, possibly the one who killed Custer.

Brave Wolf – A Contrary, fought at Little Big Horn, surrendered with Two Moon’s band in April 1877 and became the 2nd Cheyenne to enlist as scout for General Miles.

Buffalo Calf – Crazy Dog Society warrior, one of the first three Cheyenne to cross the river to meet Custer at Little Bighorn.

Buffalo Calf Road Woman – Wife of Black Coyote. Later renamed Brave Woman after Custer’s Last Stand battle. Also see Black Coyote.

Bull Bear – Chief of the Dog Soldiers, from a northern band of Southern Cheyenne; fought with bow & arrows in Gall’s charge up Medicine Tail Coulee.

Bullet Proof – Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Bushy Head (Hato’êstseahe) a.k.a. Bushy Hair –
Comes in Sight – Northern Cheyenne chief; had been rescued by his sister, Buffalo Calf Road Woman, at Crook’s fight on the Rosebud June 17th, after his horse was shot from under him. He was one of 5 Indians who charged in among the soldiers early in the Custer fight.

Contrary Belly Northern Cheyenne warrior a.k.a. Buffalo Bull Wallowing. – He was one of 5 Indians who charged in among the soldiers early in the Custer fight.

Crazy Head – 3rd ranking Cheyenne at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. He was the son of a Cheyenne father and a captive Crow mother.

Crazy Wolf – Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Crooked Nose – Fought at the Little Big Horn.

Curly Horse (Mamâhkevo’ha) –

Cut Belly a.k.a. Open Belly – Unmarried suicide warrior badly wounded in the Little Big Horn battle. Cut Belly died a few days later – the last of 7 Cheyenne to die from the Custer fight.

Dog Friend – Northern Cheyenne warrior, fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Cut Nose (O’xeesehe)

Chief Dull Knife (Tah-me-la-pash-me)(a.k.a. Morning Star)

A principle Cheyenne chief.
He once killed a grizzly bear with a knife.
On Nov. 25, 1876, the cavalry under Col. Mackenzie attacked Dull Knife’s camp at daybreak, destroying 173 lodges and capturing 500 ponies. Although the Indians escaped, with heavy loss, they later surrendered and were moved to Oklahoma and placed with the Southern Cheyenne. Greatly dissatisfied with their new home, an attempt was made by a large party under Dull Knife to escape to the north in Sept., 1878.
Fort Robinson Breakout Spiritual Run

Eagle Tail Feather – Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn

Chris Eyre – Director of Smoke Signals and Skins

Fast Walker – Northern Cheyenne warrior, fought at the Little Big Horn

Flat Iron – In 1915 he was the last surviving Cheyenne chief who was a participant in the Custer fight at the Little Big Horn.

Hawk (Tee-tan) – Fought at the Little Big Horn.

High Bear – Northern Cheyenne. He captured the roster book of a 1st sargeant in the Custer fight and filled it with drawings of scenes from the battle.

High Walking – A son of One Horn, fought at Custer’s Last Stand.

Hollow Wood (Vehpâhoo’ôtse) – Northern Cheyenne warrior, fought at the Little Big Horn Battle

Horse Road – Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

High Wolf (Ho’neoxhaa’eho’oesêstse) – Cheyenne scout.

Hishkowits (Hǐshkowǐ’ts, ‘porcupine’, known to the whites as Harvey Whiteshield) – A Southern Cheyenne interpreter, born in west Oklahoma in 1867; eldest son of the chief White Shield (Wopohwats) .

Iron Shirt (Ma’aataeestse’henahe) – In the Custer fight at the Little Big Horn Battle. Not the Comanche chief.

John Issues – Fought at the Little Big Horn.

Kills In the Night – Northern Cheyenne warrior. Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Lame White Bull – A Dog Soldier warrior, from a northern band of Southern Cheyenne; in fight with Custer’s troops.

Chief Lame White Man (Ve’ho’enôhnehe) Warrior Chief of the Southern Cheyenne, one of 7 Cheyenne killed in fighting with Custer’s troops at the age of 38. Lame White Man was in the sweat lodge of Tall Sioux when Reno attacked, and first helped his wife Twin Woman, his son Red Hat and his daughter Crane Woman escape the village.

He did not wear his warbonnet in this battle, but was wearing a blue coat he found tied behind the cantle of a captured saddle when he was shot and scalped by a Sioux who mistook him for an army scout.

His Sioux name was Bearded Man and he is also identified as Mad Hearted Wolf (see Mad Wolf)

Limber Bones a.k.a. Limber Hand or Loose Bones – An unmarried 20 year old warrior killed in the fighting at Last Stand Hill. One of 7 Cheyenne who died in the Little Big Horn Battle.

Limpy (Nohne’kâheso) – Northern Cheyenne warrior, fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Little Bird – Wore a long-trailed warbonnet into battle; he was shot in the thigh after counting coup on a soldier in the hand to hand fighting during Reno’s retreat to the bluffs during the Little Big Horn Battle.

Little Hawk – Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Chief Little Horse (Mo in a hka kit) – A warrior chief, he led warriors against Custer at the Little Big Horn Battle and was probably the warrior who stripped the body of Tom Custer after the battle.

Little Raven, also known as Hosa (Young Crow), (born ca. 1810 — died 1889) Was a principal chief of the Southern Arapaho Indians from about 1855 until his death in 1889.

He negotiated peace between the Southern Arapaho and Cheyenne and the Comanche, Kiowa, and Plains Apache. He also secured rights to the Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation in Indian Territory.

Little Robe – A Dog Soldier warrior, from a northern band of Southern Cheyenne. Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Little Shield – One of 5 young Cheyenne men on first night watch June 25-26 at Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Little Sun – Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Little Wolf (O’kohomoxhaahketa, sometimes transcribed ‘Ohcumgache’ or ‘Ohkomhakit’, more correctly translated as Little Coyote) Little Wolf was a Northern Cheyenne Chief (c. 1820 – 1904).
He was known as a great military tactician and led a dramatic escape from confinement in Oklahoma back to the Northern Cheyenne homeland in 1878.

Chief Laban Little Wolf – Northern Cheyenne warrior, later chief. Nephew of the Little Wolf who had led the march back from Oklahoma with Morning Star (aka Dull Knife).

Mad Wolf or Mad Hearted Wolf (Hahk o ni or Miv a wo nih) – His name actually means “wolf that has no sense.” Northern Cheyenne; born 1825, died 1905; one of the bravest and wisest men in the tribe; he rode with White Shield to meet Custer’s troops. (Also known as Chief Lame White Man.)

Magpie (Mo’e’ha) – Southern Cheyenne, son of Big Man; wounded in Crook’s fight on the Rosebud, he fought a few days later at the Little Big Horn.

Medicine Bear – Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. He said that Custer was killed early in the fight, with Keogh’s troops, and that his body was found back of the ridge, 100 feet or more from where the monument now stands.

Chief Niwot or Left Hand(-ed) (c. 1825–1864) – Was a tribal leader of the Southern Arapaho people and played an important part in the history of Colorado. Chief Niwot and his people lived along the Front Range often wintering in Boulder Valley, site of the future Boulder, Colorado.

Noisy Walking (Nestonevahtsêstse) – An unmarried suicide warrior, fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn at age 18. Noisy Walking was the only son of White Bull; shot 3 times and stabbed in hand to hand fighting during the first charge among Custer’s troops nearest the river, he died of his wounds the night after the battle. One of 7 Cheyenne who died at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Old Bear – Northern Cheyenne, fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Old Man – Son of Black Crane; among a large group of warriors who broke through the timber in the Reno fight, just as soldiers were mounting to retreat to the bluffs; he was killed by an Arikara scout during Reno’s retreat.

One Horn –

Chief Pine (Šestoto’e) – Northern Cheyenne warrior, fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Was later made a chief.

Plenty Coups (Haestôhena’hane) a.k.a. Many Kills – This is the Cheyenne name for the famous last free chief of the Crow tribe. He was not Cheyenne.

Rain In the Face (Hoo’kôhevenehe) – This is the Cheyenne name for the famous Lakota war chief. He was not Cheyenne.

Roan Bear – Northern Cheyenne,a Kit Fox Society warrior. He was one of the first three Cheyenne to cross the river to meet Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Roman Nose – While Dull Knife was noted in warfare among Indians, Roman Nose made his record against the whites, in defense of territory embracing the Republican and Arickaree rivers. He was killed on the latter river in 1868, in the celebrated battle with General Forsythe.

Chief Roman Nose (Vohko’xenehe) a.k.a. Hump Nose – A principle Cheyenne war chief famous for attacking white immigrants. Killed in 1868. (Same man as above, different article).

Roman Nose (Voo’xenehe) – A Dog Soldier warrior, from a northern band of Southern Cheyenne. Killed at the Battle of the Little Big Horn in the Reno fight at about age 16. Not the famed chief of the same name who was killed in 1868. (See above.)

Scabby (Oevemana) – Among the few Cheyenne present early in the Reno fight and one of the bravest; he tested his spirit power by riding back & forth 5 times in front of Reno’s skirmish line, drawing the soldiers fire, but was never hit.

Soldier Wolf – Northern Cheyenne warrior, fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn at age 17.

Spotted Hawk – In Custer fight.

Squint Eyes (Tichkematse) – A fascinating early employee of the Smithsonian Institution was Tichkematse, a Cheyenne Indian who worked for the institution in a variety of capacities between 1879 and 1881.

Standing Elk – One of the Cheyenne chiefs at the Battle of the Little Big Horn and a member of the Coucil of 44.

Standing Woman (Ma’heoneoo’e) –

White Shield Owner, commonly known to the whites as White Shield

A Southern Cheyenne chief born about 1833 on an upper branch of North Platte River Wyoming; died in 1883 near the present Kingfisher, Oklahoma.
As a young man he was known as Mouse Road.

His more famous name was bestowed on him in 1862 by his uncle, the noted Black Kettle, killed in the battle of the Washita, who had previously borne the name himself.

About the year 1878 he assumed his grandfather’s name of Buffalo Beard, which he kept until his death.

Wolf Robe or Ho’néhevotoomáhe (b. 1838-1841, d. 1910, Oklahoma) He was a Southern Cheyenne chief and a holder of the Benjamin Harrison Peace Medal.

During the late 1870s he was forced to leave the open plains and relocate his tribe on to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Reservation in Indian Territory.

Strong Left Hand – One of 9 Crazy Dog warrior society little chiefs or head men; in the Custer fight.

John Sun Bear – Northern Cheyenne warrior born in 1843. Fought in the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Sun Bear wore a buffalo-horn headdress into battle, one of 12 Cheyennes who wore warbonnets into the Battle of the Little Big Horn. During this battle, a bullet grazed his forehead in the first great Cheyenne charge on Custer’s troops, knocking him from his horse, but he continued fighting, and lived to age 85.

Jacob Tall Bull – Borther-in-law of Lame White Man. Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn where his horse was shot from under him in the Custer fight.

Tangled Horn Elk -Fought at Custer’s Last Stand.

Chief Two Moon (Ish i eyo nis si) (1847–1917) – Northern Cheyenne, nephew of Old Two Moon. One of nine little chiefs, or head men of the Kit Fox Warrior society, and one of 27 minor chiefs in the tribe at the time of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Two Moon was among the few Cheyenne present during early fighting with the Reno skirmish line and helped drive them to the bluffs. He then led warriors against Custer; his band surrendered at Fort Keogh in April, 1877.

Weasel Bear – Cheyenne warrior, fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn at age 15.

Whirlwind – a.k.a. Little Whirlwind. He was an unmarried suicide warrior who was killed at the age of 16 during the Battle of the Little Big Horn. He and one of Reno’s Arikara scouts simultaneously shot each other dead on the east side of the river. One of te 7 Cheyenne who died in this battle.

Whistling Elk –

White Bird – Cheyenne warrior, fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

White Bull (Ho tu a hwo ko mas) a.k.a. Ice – Northern Cheyenne, born 1837, son of Black Moccasin. White Bull was a warrior chief who fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. He surrendered with Two Moon’s band at Fort Keogh in April 1877, and was the first Cheyenne enlisted as a scout for General Miles. White Bull scalped Lame Deer, the Minneconjou Sioux Chief, after he had been shot by General Miles’ troops May 7, 1877 in an attack on their village. White Bull was later the most famous Northern Cheyenne medicine man and Sun Dance priest.

White Elk a.k.a. Wandering Buffalo Bull – Born 1849. White Elk was a veteran Cheyenne warrior in his late 20s. At the Battle of the Little Big Horn, he rode into battle on a borrowed pony and brought back a cavalry horse as thanks to the lender.

White Frog – In the Custer fight.

White Hawk – One of 9 Elkhorn Scraper warrior society little chiefs or head men; in the Custer fight at Little Big Horn.

White Horse (Wohk po am) – Dog Soldier warrior, from a northern band of Southern Cheyenne; was in the fight with Custer’s troops at the Little Big Horn battle.

Chief White Shield (Wo-pah-he-vah or Wopowats), meaning White Shield Owner, formerly called Young Black Bird; and Spotted Wolf.

Northern Cheyenne, son of Spotted Wolf and grandson of Whistling Elk.
White Shield was a leader in the Bowstring soldier society, and in 1870 was formally elected to the council of chiefs.

In the next year he was one of a delegation sent to Washington to represent the allied Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes then established on a reservation in Oklahoma, and with his companions received from President Grant a treaty medal bearing the device of a pipe, a plow, a globe, and a Bible, which were explained to symbolize peace, agriculture, education, and Christianity.

White Shield accepted all this literally, and on his return became an earnest advocate of civilization, schools, and mission work.

He survived the Washita massacre, where Custer’s army killed an estimated 100 Cheyenne men, women, and children. He was the one who had a vision the night before the massacre of a wounded wolf mourning its pups that had been killed or scattered to the winds by a powerful enemy. The vision prompted White Shield to ask Chief Black Kettle to move the village. His request was ignored.

White Shield was a hero of the Rosebud fight. He was fishing with his nephews when he heard the gunfire of Reno’s attack on the south end of the village. He overtook Bobtain Horse and others who were the first to meet Custer at the river in the Little Bighorn battle.

Harvey Whiteshield (Hishkowits, meaning ‘porcupine’) – A Southern Cheyenne interpreter, born in west Oklahoma in 1867; eldest son of the chief White-shield (see Wopowats). In 1893 he became assistant teacher in the Mennonite mission school among the Cheyenne at Cantonment, Oklahoma, and served as interpreter for the mission. He was chief assistant of the Rev. Rudolph Petter, missionary in charge, in the preparation of a number of translations and a manuscript dictionary of the Cheyenne language.

Chief Wolf Robe (Ho’néhevotoomáhe) – (b. 1838-1841, d. 1910, Oklahoma) was a Southern Cheyenne chief and a holder of Benjamin Harrison Peace Medal.

Wolf Tooth – Warrior in the Custer fight at Last Stand hill. He later said, “All I could see were tomahawks, hatchets, and guns raised above the heads of the warriors through the dust. There wasn’t much (rifle) smoke, for no one had time to reload. Soon the field was covered with bodies.”

Wooden Leg (Kum-mok-quiv-vi-ok-ta or Kamâxeveohtahe) Northern Cheyenne; boyhood name was Eats From His Hand. He was the son of Walks on Crutches.

Wooden Leg was a menber of the Elkhorn Scrapers warrior society.
He fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, where he counted coup on a soldier and wrenched the rifle from his back. He was also in the hand to hand fighting during Reno’s retreat to the bluffs.

Wooden Leg was later an Indian scout at Fort Keogh in 1889, and a tribal judge on the reservation.

His American name was Richard Woodenlegs. His grandson, John Woodenlegs, was the only Indian member of President Johnson’s National Advisory Commission on Rural Poverty in 1967.

Wounded Eye – Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Yellow Hair (Heova’ehe) – Older brother of Wooden Leg. Hee rode to the Reno fight dressed for battle in a long buckskin shirt fringed with hair taken from a Crow Indian killed in an earlier battle. He was also in the Custer fight at the Little Big Horn.

Yellow Horse (Heove’hamehe) – At the Battle of the Little Big Horn, served as a lookout.

Yellow Nose (Heoveesehe) – Northern Cheyenne warrior. He was an Ute boy adopted by Spotted Wolf. At the Battle of the Little Big Horn, he charged up close to soldiers early in the Custer fight, frightening the troopers’ horses.

He is remembered for capturing a company guidon from the ground where it stood, on a charge in the Custer battle, and using it to count coup on a soldier as he carried it away.

This was the first charge among the soldiers on Last Stand Hill,and he probably had captured the General’s battle flag carried by Sgt. Robert Hughes of Troop K, before Hughes was killed.

Young Turkey Leg – Fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Famous Contemporary Cheyenne:

St. David Pendleton Oakerhater -Episcopal saint, deacon, warrior, and artist

Montano Rain – Child actor with Apache/Cheyenne Nations heritage. Rain is founder of his own non-profit organization HELP THE EARTH.

Michael Redfeather (Tenderfoot) – Actor of Southern Cheyenne descent, native american activist.

Joanelle Romero – An actress of Apache/Cheyenne descent.

Rod Rondeaux – A Crow and Cheyenne stuntman.

Suzan Shown Harjo – Cheyenne activist and writer.

Gail Small – A Northern Cheyenne activist and attorney.

Jeannine Stalling – Cheyenne activist

Viola Hatch – Activist, policymaker, tribal elder, past tribal chair

Jerome Bushyhead – Cheyenne artist, known as painter and sculptor.

Virgil Greenwood – Cheyenne artist, known for beadwork.

Harvey Phillip Pratt (born 1941) – An American forensic artist and Native American artist, who has worked for over forty years in law enforcement, completing thousands of composite drawings and hundreds of soft tissue postmortem reconstructions. He is also recognized as one of the traditional Cheyenne Peace Chiefs, also known as the Council of Forty-Four.

Edgar Heap of Birds (Cheyenne name: Hock E Aye VI) – A multi-disciplinary artist. His art contributions include public art messages, large scale drawings, Neuf Series acrylic paintings, prints, and monumental porcelain enamel on steel outdoor sculpture.

Archie Blackowl – A Cheyenne painter from Oklahoma who played a pivotal role in mid-20th century Native American art.

Lance Henson – Cheyenne poet.

Merlin Little Thunder – Cheyenne Artist – one of the nation’s top Native American miniature painters. Merlin Little Thunder began his career in 1981. His work is included in many private and public collections including thirteen paintings in the museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. In 2005, he received first place in the painting category and second place in the miniatures category in the Santa Fe Indian Market.

Ben Nighthorse Campbell – Honorary Northern Cheyenne chief, and U.S. senator from Colorado.

Chris Eyre – Cheyenne and Arapaho director and filmmaker.

Ross Anderson – Professional World Cup Skier

Yvonne Kauger – Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice

W. Richard West, Jr. – Cheyenne lawyer and first director of the National Museum of the American Indian

W. Richard West, Sr. – Cheyenne artist and educator.

Cheyenne Tribes:

Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribe(F) (Oklahoma)
Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation (Montana) (F)

Cheyenne Gods and Folk Heroes

Maheo (also spelled Maheo’o) is the Cheyenne name for the Creator God. Literally his name means Great One, and he is often referred to as Great Medicine or the Great Spirit.

Maheo is a divine spirit without human form or attributes and is rarely personified in Cheyenne folklore. In some myths, Maheo is referred to as Heammawihio (or Heamaveeho,) which means Spider Above.

This useage may be an borrowed from their Arapaho kinfolk, who referred to the Creator this way to differentiate him from the earthly Spider figure (see below.) Maheo is by far the more common name.

Common Characters in Cheyenne Legends:

Axxea or Mehne – Water monsters who live in springs and menace travelers. Some Cheyenne people believe that these are two names for the same monster, others say that Axxea was the individual name of one particular Mehne monster, and still others that they are two different species of water monster.

Mehne is always described as a horned serpent, while Axxea is sometimes described as a horned serpent, sometimes as a four-legged creature like a bull or water panther, and other times compared to a caterpillar or worm. Nonoma is the sworn enemy of both, and while both are dangerous to humans, they may be calmed by respectful offerings.

Enemy Dwarves (Vo’estanehesono): A race of dangerous little people, about knee-high to a man, who lived in the Rocky Mountains and warred with the Cheyenne. Sometimes they were said to eat humans; other times, they were merely described as warlike and violent. Their Cheyenne name literally means “little people.”

Ma’xemestaa’e – A large, hairy humanoid creature, somewhat like the

Sasquatch or Bigfoot of the Northwestern tribes, only with birdlike feet.

Nonoma – The Cheyenne spirit of thunder. Some Cheyenne people describe Nonoma as a Thunderbird; others consider him a wind spirit like the Winter Wind, who is his spiritual opposite.

Rolling Head – A horrible, vampiric sort of creature from Cheyenne myth, created when a man murders his unfaithful wife and her disembodied head returns from the dead to seek revenge.

Sweet Medicine ( Arrow Boy or Metzehouf) – Legendary prophet and medicine man of the Cheyenne tribe. He predicted the arrival of white men, among other things.

Two-Face (Hestovatohkeo’o) -A malevolent monster resembling a man with a second face on the back of his head; a person who makes eye contact with this second face will be murdered by the monster, who tries many ploys to try to get victims to look at him.

Wihio (also spelled Veeho, Veho) – is the spider trickster of Cheyenne mythology. Though he is associated with spiders and his name means “spider,” he has the form of a man in every Cheyenne tale. In some stories, Wihio plays the role of the clever and benevolent trickster/transformer hero, similar to Nanabozho of the Anishinabe tribes; but in most stories, he is merely a silly and foolish character who behaves as inappropriately as possible by Cheyenne social standards.

In any case, the literal meaning of the character’s Cheyenne name is “Spider.” It is given as “White-Man” in some older translations, but this is a misleading translation– the Cheyennes named white people after the trickster character, not vice versa!

Famous Cheyenne

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