~The Arapaho Indian Culture~

The Arapaho Indian Nation have lived on the plains of the American West since the 17th century; prior to that they had roots in Minnesota. The Arapaho refer to themselves as "Inuna-Ina" which translates as "our people." Their language is of Algonquin heritage, as is that of their close neighbors the Cheyenne. When they first began to drift west, the Arapaho formed an alliance with the Cheyenne. Forsaking their life as corn planters, they began to follow the great buffalo herds. The newly transplanted Plains Arapaho split into two separate tribes, the northern and southern Arapaho. Both tribes constantly waged war with the Shoshone, Ute, Pawnee, and Navajo tribes throughout the the 18th and early 19th century. From 1840 onwards, however, a peace settled over all the plains tribes. The Northern Arapaho lived along the edges of mountains at the headwaters of the Platte River,while the Southern Arapaho lived towards the Arkansas River. The Arapaho were a nomadic people in the summer when they followed the buffalo. To accommodate this, they lived in tipi's. The tipi's were made from buffalo skins that were sewn together and wrapped around lodge poles. The tipi was easily maneuverable and could be comfortably erected by two women in an hour. The Arapaho because acknowledged experts at hunting the buffalo, which provided them with virtually every essential of living. In addition to the meat of the buffalo, the Arapaho would eat berries and plants. A favorite among the people was to mix berries with the buffalo meat and also the fat of the buffalo meat to make pemmican. The Arapaho were also known for the custom of eating their dogs. For their clothing, the Arapaho would utilize the hide of the elk and deer. From these, they would fashion breechcloths, leggings, moccasins for the men, and fringed dresses for the women. The Arapaho would live together in small bands with membership predominantly determined by birth. Members however, were free to move within bands at will. Once a year, all the bands would gather together for the Sun Dance festival - an eight day festival that preceded the great summer buffalo hunt. Each band would raise their tipi's in a circle, ensuring that their opening flaps were facing towards the east. In the center of the camp the Sun Dance Lodge would be constructed. In the middle of this lodge would stand the Sun Dance pole. After a preparatory period the Sun Dance would begin with specific dance patterns and body painting methods. Those chosen as the primary participants would then undergo an excruciating ordeal that involved staring into the sun while dancing hypnotically before being impaled to the Sun Dance pole by way of tiny stakes punctured into the skin. The Sun Dancer was to not show any signs of pain during the ritual, and, it able to do so, would be rewarded with a vision from the Great Spirit. The Arapaho are a very spiritual people. They believe in an overall creator who they refer to as "Be He Teiht." As with many Native American peoples, they believe in a close relationship between themselves, the animals of their world, and the land of which they live on. The Arapaho also have a deep respect and appreciation for the elders of their people. Advice is given from the wisdom of these elders, so respecting and listening to them is very important. With the coming of the white man, the Arapaho endeavored to coexist in peace. But as the advance of Europeans on the frontier continued at pace, The Arapahos, along with all the other plains tribes, found themselves being pushed further and further west. The buffalo which they depended on so much was being shot by the thousands, and were left to rot by the newcomers. Treaties made by the United States Government with the Arapaho were soon broken as the need for more land presented itself. The gold rush of 1858 saw the floodgates opened even further. All in all, it is clearly evident that this particular tribe was a very rounded culture, yet did not forget their roots.