Re: historical photographs
This image is a rare photgraph of the two famous chiefs of the Cheyyene Nation who in the years between 1877 and 1879 led the Cheyyene nation of North Western America through one of the greatest feats of human migration.
The Cheyyene tribe were punished by the full might of the United States for having dared to stand up and protect thier ancestral homelands from being taken away from them. In 1876 the Cheyyene nation who had inhabited the North Western American Wilderness for Centuries joined in a great tribal confederation with a dozen other Indian tribes from across the North West in a great meeting at the Little Big Horn river. There with other tribes they met and defeated the first major Invasion force sent to defeat the united Indian bands. The Force that was led by the Finest US Colonel George Armstrong Custer stumbled across the Indian encampment and met its fatefull demise when hordes of Indians fought back in a united front. The Summer Campaign of 1876 was perhaps the greatest victory the Native Americans ever won against the United states but the tribes could not stay together for long and slowly they dispersed. By 1877 the best commanders among the Native American tribes were either dead, captive or had fled the oncoming US Army. The Cheyyene people were forced to abandon thier lands and under armed guard of the US Army the Cheyyene nation who’s total number at that time was less than a thousand and put by the US army as around 997. This relatively small nation were forced to leave thier ancestral Homeland in the North West of the United States and March a gruelling Journey of almost 800 miles to the Southern territories and thier other imprisioned brothers the Southern Cheyyene nation, who were already held in a confined reservation.
There were many sick, elderly and infant members of this vast group but they were mercilessly driven acrss the 800 mile journey mostly on fought across some of the harshest terrain on this planet including jagged peaked mountains and vast grassland edged with desert and cacti. Still by the Winter of 1877 More than half the Indians had made thier journey their. Hundreds had died on the way any who tried to escape were shot. Any other Nation would by now have totally given up and considered themselves defeated but not the Cheyenne. Led by thier two Chiefs Little Wolf (often rendered little coyote) and Dull Knife (rendered as Morning Star in some sources) some 300 or so of them decided that they could not live so far from thier anciewnt homeland.
So in the bitter Winter of 1877 with outside tempratures as cold as Minus 20 and with more than half thier number of people comprised of just Women and Children they chose to break out of thier confined reservation and head back North. It was a stupendous and some would dare say fool-hardy venture, to risk thier lives against all these odds was almost suicidal but they did not hold back. The remaining Northern Cheyyene resolved that it was better to die in the attempt to escape home to the North than to live the rest of thier lives in slavery so far from thier homes. Little Wolf and Dull knife with a handfull of braves led a succssfull attack out of the Fort in which they were held and made the mad cap dash home. It meant a bitter Winter journey across the Mountains with all thier fammilies in tow.
The Epic Journey was by now well under way despite the entire Western US army now on full alert for the roaming band of Cheyyene, they battled thier way through the first few miles with unbelievable courage. Many infants died from the cold as did many elders but the majority pushed on North and Homeward. They were immediately persued by at least 250 US troopers who failed to catch the Indians becuase the Braves had anticipated the attack and shot the Persuing cavalry Colonel Lewis off his horse, leaving the troopers leaderless and unable to drive home the charge.
The Indians reached Nebraska within a few Months allready covering almost 500 miles. It was here that Chief Dull Knife split from the main band taking half the Cheyyene Nation with him to Red Cloud Souix territory in the hope the other tribe might help them. But Little Wolf with the remaining followers decided to continue the trek all the way home.
The Cheyyene reached thier Northern territory and whilst ultimately thier battered little band had to Surrender at Fort Kouegh the US army never forced the Cheyyene people to ever go back to the Southern reservation.
The 1964 Film “Cheyyene Autumn” directed by the Legendary John Ford and was his last film, is a tribute to the courage of the Cheyyene people.
The Cheyyen were not the only tribe who were forced to leave thier ancestral homelands by the United States but they were one of the only tribes who fought back and made a break-out on such a scale. In terms of sheer courage and the strength of mans beliefs and how they can help him overcome great hardship, the long March of the Cheyyene remains an awesome case in human History where a determined people still had thier way.
To this day the Cheyyene reside in the Northern territories and the US governemnt never again forced them to be taken South.
