Sacred Arrows (Cheyenne)

Sacred Arrows (Cheyenne)
Name	Sacred Arrows (Cheyenne)
Caption	Traditional tipi designs often reference Black Hills iconography associated with the Cheyenne
Material	Wood, stone, feathers, hide
Culture	Cheyenne, Oglala Sioux, Lakota
Location	Historically Northern Plains, collections in Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of the American Indian

Sacred Arrows (Cheyenne) The Sacred Arrows are central ceremonial objects of the Cheyenne people, integral to rituals, diplomacy, war rites, and cosmology among Plains nations such as the Arapaho, Lakota, and Oglala Sioux. Their significance appears in accounts by observers including George Bent, E. A. Brininstool, and ethnographers like James Mooney and George Bird Grinnell, and features in treaty narratives with parties such as representatives of the United States and signatories of the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868.

Introduction

The Sacred Arrows functioned as both religious regalia and political insignia among the Northern Cheyenne and Southern Cheyenne, forming a ritual complex referenced in ethnographic literature by Matilda Coxe Stevenson and contested in events involving George Catlin-era collectors and institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History. Accounts tie the Arrows to figures like Roman Nose (Cheyenne warrior), Black Kettle, and leaders present at councils with commanders including William S. Harney and Philip St. George Cooke. They are cited in studies by scholars at universities including University of Oklahoma and Harvard University.

Origin and Mythology

Cheyenne origin narratives link the Arrows to prophetic figures and cultural heroes comparable to the founder roles in stories about Sweet Medicine and comparable to origin narratives collected by Frances Densmore. These myths intersect with broader Plains motifs found among the Crow, Pawnee, and Kiowa and were recorded during fieldwork by researchers such as James Mooney and George Bird Grinnell. Tales situate the Arrows within cosmologies that reference sacred locales like the Black Hills and events remembered alongside the Massacre at Sand Creek and the Battle of Washita River.

Ritual Significance and Ceremonial Use

In ritual life the Arrows were used in rites that regulated community welfare, hunting success, and wartime favor, functioning in ceremonies analogous to those described for the Sun Dance among the Sioux and ritual objects of the Ute and Arapaho. They participated in diplomatic exchanges recorded in accounts of councils with Isaac Stevens-era negotiators and in ceremonies witnessed by ethnographers such as Frances Densmore and George Bird Grinnell. Use of the Arrows is detailed in descriptions of annual rites, seasonal rites, and crisis ceremonies involving leaders like Medicine Arrows custodians and chiefs such as Little Rock (Cheyenne) and Two Moons.

Physical Description and Symbolism

The Arrows comprise shaft, stone or iron points, feather fletching, and leather wrappings decorated with pigments and amulets, similar in material assemblage to artifacts cataloged at the Smithsonian Institution and regional museums like the Denver Art Museum. Iconography on Arrow bundles corresponds with cosmological symbols found in Plains art traditions exemplified by ledger drawings by figures such as Howling Wolf and motifs in works by painters like George Catlin and Karl Bodmer. Color, feather type, and appended items reference spiritual relationships recognized by elders and ceremonialists akin to descriptions in studies by Vine Deloria Jr. and William K. Powers.

Custodianship and Transmission

Custodianship rested with designated holders and priestly societies, with transmission by oral instruction and ritual investiture resembling practices documented among the Oglala and Brulé. Lineages of custodians appear in historical records mentioning individuals who interacted with agents of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and with nineteenth-century travelers like Thomas Fitzpatrick. Ethnographic interviews collected by researchers at institutions such as Smithsonian Institution and American Philosophical Society record protocols for handling, storage, and ceremonial activation.

Historical Events and Losses

The Arrows figured in episodes of conflict and dispossession, including losses during confrontations tied to the Sand Creek Massacre and seizures following engagements like the Battle of the Little Bighorn era upheavals. Collections and museums received Arrow components through transactions involving collectors such as James H. Cook and William F. Cody; repatriation debates have involved agencies including the National Museum of the American Indian and legislation like the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Accounts by eyewitnesses such as George Bent and reports in periodicals of the Bureau of American Ethnology document dispersal, theft, and recovery efforts.

Contemporary Significance and Revival Practices

Contemporary Cheyenne communities engage in revival and stewardship, coordinating with institutions such as the National Congress of American Indians and universities like University of Colorado to restore ceremonial knowledge, educate youth, and pursue repatriation through frameworks established by NAGPRA and collaborative projects with curators at the Smithsonian Institution. Revival initiatives link living leaders, elders, and ceremonial societies with cultural programs funded by entities like the National Endowment for the Arts and partnerships involving tribal colleges such as Little Big Horn College. The Arrows continue to inform identity, legal advocacy, and cultural resurgence amid broader Plains intertribal collaborations involving the Arapaho and Lakota.

Category:Cheyenne