Volume 9 Article 5 Issue 4 Summer

7-15-1990 Cheyenne Voices Karen McKellips

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Recommended Citation McKellips, Karen (1990) "Cheyenne Voices," Westview: Vol. 9 : Iss. 4 , Article 5. Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/westview/vol9/iss4/5

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sent for punish­ ment and to CHEYENNE prevent further uprisings to imprisonment at VOICES Fort Marion in St. By Dr. Karen McKellips Augustine, Flor­ ida. The group hen Western Oklahoma also included was opened to white settle­ Lone Wolf, who ment, the voices of the Chey­ was among 250 enne and other Native Ameri­ Klowas who had cans were already here. The surrendered at federal government's power had Fort Sill the Illustrations by month before. years’ before decided this to be the place John Crawford where the Cheyenne must live. Yet, here, Some of those as in so many other places and with so chosen to go were picked at random and many other tribes with the coming of others because of participation in certain white settlement, the federal government incidents. and the dominant white culture, officially Among the Cheyenne were Making and unofficially, blatantly and subtly, Medicine (Okuhhatuh), who had partici­ undertook to replace the Cheyenne voice pated in the battle of Adobe Walls; Medi­ and the Cheyenne ways, to minimize, even cine Water (Mihuhyeuimup); White Man eliminate, this voice in Western Okla­ (Owussait); Long Back (Chaseyunnuh); homa. Rising Bull (Otoashuhjhos); Bear’s Heart Major tools employed to accomplish the (Nockkoist); Chief Killer (Nohhunahwih); stilling of the Cheyenne voice were reli­ Broken Leg (Cohoe); and Buffalo Calf gious conversion and education, often (Mochi), who had been in the party that linked together. Various religious denomi­ killed five members of the Germaine family nations were given by the government the and abducted the four daughters. Others right and responsibility for providing the accused of participating in raids in which schools and teachers to convince Native whites had been killed were Bear Shield Americans that they shouldn’t “put on the (Nockoyouh), Soaring Eagle (Ouho), Bear blanket,’ an expression used to describe Killer (Nocomista), Left Hand (Nomohst), the wearing of tribal dress, the symbol of and Big Moccasin. Those who had been failure to adopt the white man’s ways. accused of nothing except being “ringlead­ Attempts to still the voice of the Chey­ ers’ included Heap of Birds (Moeyauhay- enne and other Plains Indians tribes such ist). Eagle’s Head (Minlmic), Star (Hoito- as the Arapaho, Comanche, and Kiowa ich). Howling Wolf (Honanistto). Antelope began in Western Oklahoma years before (Wuhah), Wolfs Marrow (Comeuhsurah), the opening of their lands in the two Little Medicine (Mohaihhachit), Shave decades bracketing the turn of the twenti­ Head (Ouksteuh), Roman Nose (Wouhun- eth century. The Washita campaigns of nih). Big Nose (Paeyls), Squint Eyes 1868-1869 and the Red River War of (Quchkeimus), Little Chief (Koweonarre), 1874-1875 resulted in the decision to try Matches (Chisiseduh), Buffalo Meat to end such conflict through conversion (Oewotoh),Buzzard (Mohewihkio), Gray and education of tribal leaders and Native Beard, Lean Bear, Shaving Wolf, and American children. Spotted Elk. Most of the Southern Cheyenne came These warriors were escorted to St. into the Agency at Darlington in March Augustine by Richard Henry Pratt, later to 1875, driven by hunger. From these were be called the “Red Man’s Moses,’ who selected thirty-three Cheyenne who Joined stayed with them as their jailer through­ thirty-nine other Plains Indians—Arapaho. out their Imprisonment. He appears to Kiowa. Comanche, and Caddo—who were have had more tolerance for people of dif-

6 WESTVIEW Summer 1990 CHEYENNE ferent races than was typical of those in earnestly they now believed in adopting his profession at the time as he not only the white culture. They were Roman Nose, commanded a black regiment but also Making Medicine, and Cohoe. fought army authority to make Imprison­ Roman Nose had asked to stay in the ment more bearable for his charges. A East and went with Dr. and Mrs. Henry veteran of the Civil War, Pratt had served Carruthers to their home in Tarrytown, in the Washita campaign of 1868 and in New York, for a visit. From Dr. Carruthers, the Red River War. Roman Nose adopted the name Henry C. At Fort Marion, to their horror, Pratt This taking of a Christian first name has made his prisoners cut their hair and wear helped Cheyenne historians keep Henry army uniforms. Otherwise his treatment separate from the old chief Roman Nose, could almost be described as kind. He who died in 1868. At the opening of took them on outings and let them go to Carlisle, Henry asked to be enrolled and town without passes. They were allowed to was. He stayed there three years, spending work for townspeople to earn money, and summers with the Carrutherses in New local women organized a school and York and working for a few months on a taught them to read and write. Their farm in Massachusetts. teachers included one of the first gradu­ By the time Henry had finished his three ates of Mount Holyoke and another years at Carlisle, all but three of the Fort woman who before the Civil War had Marion Boys had returned to Indian owned a rather exclusive private school for Territoiy. In August he returned himself to girls. They went sailing and fishing for Darlington. sharks. They presented dances to enter­ Cohoe was admitted to Hampton Insti­ tain the local townspeople. Among the tute where he studied tailoring and then people who came to observe them was to Carlisle; but at the age of 26, he was Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose brother was unhappy there and homesick to return to Superintendent of Schools in Florida the reservation. In 1880, he, too, returned during the Reconstruction period. to Darlington. In April of 1878, three years after their Of the four prisoners who went to New arrival, thirteen of the Cheyenne Fort York to study for the Episcopal ministry, Marion Boys, as they had become known, two were Cheyenne—Making Medicine and were released and returned home. (One Shave Head. They took English names had been shot and killed trying to escape when they were bap­ on the trip to St. Augustine.) Seventeen of tized. Making Medi­ the young men were sent as the first cine took the name Native Americans to be enrolled at Hamp­ David Pendleton in ton Institute, the Black school founded a honor of Senator few years earlier for the newly freed slaves George Hunt Pendle­ and whose most-noted student, Booker T. ton, a supporter of Washington, had graduated three years Carlisle, and added earlier. The other two went with three from an English spelling of other tribes to New York to study for the his Cheyenne name, ministry, four to become Episcopal dea­ Oakerhater. Shave cons and one a Presbyterian minister. became John Wicks. He At this time Pratt had received permis­ was suffering from tuber sion from the Secretary of War to open an culosis; he returned to off-reservation Indian school at the aban­ the reservation and died doned Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania, within weeks. and in 1879 the school opened with 136 Oakerhater in the students. second year of his stay Three of the Cheyenne Fort Marion Boys in New York was sent by showed exceptional promise in regards to recruit students for embracing white man’s ways. They had successful and upon his return spoken and written frequently about how East brought his wife and son.

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whom died after a short time in New York. to the old ways. Henry Roman Nose joined In June 1881 Oakerhater was ordained them. He renounced white ways and in Syracuse. On the same day, he, Zotom, refused to send his children to school, a Kiowa Fort Marion Boy, and Rev. J. B. even when rations were withheld to force Wicks, an Episcopal missionary assigned him to do so. He was tired from his tin­ to Indian Territory, set out for the reserva­ smith job. tion. In 1891 he received his land allotment Thus, three Cheyenne leaders had and lived out his life on it, serving as a become convinced to quit the blanket and chief and as a leader in the Native Ameri­ spoke of returning to their people to urge can Church. Indian agents weren’t pleased them to adopt white man’s ways and the with his leadership. Agent A. E. Woodson white man’s religion. It was hoped by accused him of setting a bad example for those who had a hand in their conversion the younger Cheyenne. When Roman Nose and education that they would be leaders and Cohoe participated in a delegation of among the Cheyenne in guiding their Cheyenne who traveled to Washington, people toward the new culture. Were they D.C., Agent Woodson wrote to the Com­ faithful to this task in the years to come? missioner of Indian Affairs saying that Did they aid in the stilling of the Chey­ Roman Nose had engaged in evil, for­ enne voice? bidden practices and followed Other Fort Marion Boys had quickly non-progressive, superstitious returned to the ways of their people. ways. Henry Roman Nose died on Most of them hadn’t expressed William Cohoe’s allotment during intention to do anything else. Lone a peyote ceremony in 1917. Wolf returned home after his Cohoe had taken the name Wil­ release, put on the blanket, and liam during his captivity. He was a died—some said of a broken talented artist, and his drawings made heart. Zotom, the Kiowa or­ during the Fort Marion imprisonment dained with Oakerhater, re­ have been published and were the focus of turned to the old ways, partici­ a recent Oklahoma Museum Association pated in the Ghost Dance move­ traveling exhibit. He did very little paint­ ment, left the Episcopal faith. ing, however, after his return to Indian Upon his return, Henry Roman Territory. Nose tried many different occupa­ Upon returning home. Cohoe worked at tions. Trained as a tinsmith, he the agency as a laborer, mill hand, team­ had been promised he would be ster, brick molder, and baker—all in the hired by the Indian Agent Miles to follow space of two years. At Hampton, he had that trade, but he wasn’t. He worked trained as a tailor. He later worked as a briefly as a scout at Fort Reno. Miles again butcher and also built fences. In 1882, he promised the tinsmith job if he would go quit his employment at the agency and back to Carlisle and take a refresher worked for six years as a clerk at a trading course. Roman Nose left his family and did post, followed by a stint as a scout at Ft. so. When he returned again to the agency. Supply. Once he received his land allot­ Miles was gone and the new Indian Agent ment, he worked as a farmer. had appointed another Cheyenne to be Like Henry Roman Nose, he put aside tinsmith. Roman Nose took a job as an his white man’s Christianity and became a agency policeman and complained to the member of the Native American Church. government. Eventually he received the He grew his hair long and put on the tinsmith job, but the pay was so low that blanket. He became head chief of the War he couldn’t move from his canvas tent into Dancers Society and followed Cheyenne a house. custom by taking two sisters as wives. He In 1890 many of the Southern Cheyenne died in 1924 on his allotment in Blaine took up the “Ghost Dance." a religious County. movement promising the coming of a David Pendleton Oakerhater was to messiah if the Native Americans returned serve the Episcopal Church in Oklahoma

8 WESTVIEW Summer 1990 CHEYENNE longer than any other cleric. Ordained a deacon, he was never made a priest. For three years, he and Rev. Wicks worked among the Cheyenne. In 1884, Wicks' health failed and he returned home. For nine years Oakerhater was alone as representative of the Episcopal Church among the Cheyenne. During this period, many Cheyenne converts left the Christian religion, but Oakerhater worked faithfully by word and example to show the advan­ tages of the white man’s ways and religion to his people. He was much praised by the white society of the area. The Indian Agents praised his work in official dispatches. Several favorable mentions of him and his work were made in the CHE\rENNE government ordered it closed in 1917. TRANSPORTER, a newspaper published at During the entire period of existence of the agency. He is credited with conducting the Whirlwind School, Oakerhater lived the first Christian burial among the among the Cheyenne at the camp. He Cheyenne and with persuading sick served as translator and interpreter of Cheyenne to see the agency physician Native American ways to all the priests instead of the tribal medicine man. and missionaries in the area. Whirlwind His church, built in 1882, was near Day School was more popular with Native Darlington. Nearby was established a Americans than the boarding schools and mission school which later moved to Fay was consequently unpopular with the and finally to Whirlwind Camp. Later Indian agents and officials of nearby another mission was built at Bridgeport, boarding schools. Much of the credit for which he also served. this popularity was probably attributable Episcopal Bishop Francis Brooke arrived to Oakerhater. in the Territory in 1893 and Rev. David With the closing of the school in 1917, Stanford in 1896. They received permis­ Oakerhater retired but continued to sion in 1897 to take over the government counsel, preach, and baptize. He died in school at Whirlwind. The effect of this 1934 at about the age of 84. In 1985, the school on the Cheyenne didn’t please the Episcopal Church named David Pendleton government authorities. They were trying Oakerhater to its calendar of saints, the to persuade Native Americans to live on first Native American to be so honored. and cultivate their allotments while allow­ If we listen for diverse voices by listening ing their children to be educated at board­ to the Cheyenne, perhaps we find diversity ing schools. The Cheyenne and Arapaho not just between the white voices and the would leave their allotments and camp Cheyenne voices. Perhaps among the around the schools where their children Cheyenne voices themselves there is were enrolled. diversity. # For this reason. Whirlwind School was closed in 1901. In 1904, Rev. Stanford (DR. KAREN MCKELLIPS was bom and reared in persuaded the government to let the Thomas and has a B.S.Jmm Southwestern. Her father school be reopened as a school for chil­ grew up on a farm across the South Canadian River dren in bad health. However, able-bodied from Whldwind Camp. She has an M.S. and Ed.D. children continued to attend, and their from OSU and teaches history and philosophy of parents continued to camp nearby. education at Cameron University.) When Stanford left in 1908, an Episco­ pal missionary. Miss Harriet Bedell, took his place as head of the school until the

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