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 formed alliances with the Cheyenne, who also roamed the Plains. Both were able to greatly extend their range after they got horses in the early 1700s. The Arapaho roamed over parts of Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Their culture was based on prowess in warfare and hunting. Their society was a complex one, with a carefully structured camp and spiritual life.
Although war was important to their way of life, the Arapaho had mostly peaceful relations with early explorers and trading post entrepreneurs. Settlers, however, were a different story. Incidents between the 'lords of the Plains' and those who saw empty homesites began to occur more frequently. Many chiefs, however, were willing to seek peace and cede some territory for perpetual title to the rest.
History is clear that the American government and military dealt shamefully with the tribes. The Sand Creek Massacre was a bloody incident when a group of soldiers attacked a sleeping camp of mostly women and children during a time of peace negotiations. Although the tribes were granted wide territories under the Treaty of 1851, they lost it all by 1868.
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 formed alliances with the Cheyenne, who also roamed the Plains. Both were able to greatly extend their range after they got horses in the early 1700s. The Arapaho roamed over parts of Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Their culture was based on prowess in warfare and hunting. Their society was a complex one, with a carefully structured camp and spiritual life.
Although war was important to their way of life, the Arapaho had mostly peaceful relations with early explorers and trading post entrepreneurs. Settlers, however, were a different story. Incidents between the 'lords of the Plains' and those who saw empty homesites began to occur more frequently. Many chiefs, however, were willing to seek peace and cede some territory for perpetual title to the rest.
History is clear that the American government and military dealt shamefully with the tribes. The Sand Creek Massacre was a bloody incident when a group of soldiers attacked a sleeping camp of mostly women and children during a time of peace negotiations. Although the tribes were granted wide territories under the Treaty of 1851, they lost it all by 1868.
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.
