Cheyenne People - Historical Cheyenne Bands

Historical Cheyenne Bands

Northern Cheyenne (known in Cheyenne either as Notameohmésêhese meaning "Northern Eaters" or simply as Ohmésêhese or Ôhmésêheseo'o meaning "Eaters")

• Notameohmésêhese proper ("Northern Eaters", also simply known as Omísis, Ohmésêhese or Ôhmésêheseo'o - "Eaters", went by this names because they were known as great hunters and therefore had a good supply of meat to feed their people, most populous Cheyenne group)
  • Anskówînîs ("Narrow Nose", "narrow-nose-bridge", named after their first chief Anskówînîs)
  • Mogtávhaitäniu (Moktavhetaneo - "Black Men”, “Ute-like Men", because they had darker skin than other Cheyenne, they looked more like the Utes to their Cheyenne kin)
• Northern Oivimána (Northern Oévemana - "Northern Scabby", "Northern Scalpers")
• Totoimana (Tútoimanáh - "Backward Clan", "Shy Clan" or "Bashful Clan")
• Masikota ("Crickets", "Grasshoppers", perhaps a Lakotiyapi word mazikute - "iron (rifle) shooters", from mazi - "iron" and kute - "to shoot", mixed Cheyenne-Lakota band, were known by the latter as Sheo, lived southeast of the Black Hills along the White River, intermarried with Oglala Lakota and Sičháŋǧu Oyáte, was the first group of the tribal unit on the Plains, hence their name First Named)
  • Hó`nawa (Honowa, Ononeo or Háovôhnóva - "Arikara People", because they were through intermarriage of mixed Cheyenne-Arikara heritage)
• Northern Só'taeo'o (Suhtai or Sutaio, married only other Só'taeo'o (Northern or Southern alike) and camped always separate from the other Cheyenne camps, maintained closest ties to the Notameohmésêhese band)
  • first band
  • second band

Southern Cheyenne (known in Cheyenne as Heévâhetaneo'o meaning "Roped People", also commonly known as Sówoniá - “the Southen People”)

• Tsistsistas proper
  • Heviksnipahis (Iviststsinihpah - ”Aorta People” or “Burnt Aorta People”)
  • Moiseo (Monsoni - "Flint-Men", called after the Flintmen Society (Motsêsóonetaneo'o), were also called Otata-voha - "Blue Horses", after Blue Horse, the first leader of the Coyote Warriors Society (O'ôhoménotâxeo'o), both were branches of the Fox Warriors Society (Vóhkêséhetaneo'o or Monêsóonetaneo'o), one of the four original Cheyenne military societies)
• Hévhaitanio (Heévâhetaneo'o or Heévâhetane - "Haire Rope Men", "Hairy People")
• Southern Oivimána (Southern Oévemana - "Southern Scabby", "Southern Scalpers", originally part of the Hevhaitanio)
• Hisíometanio (Hesé'omeétaneo'o or Issiometaniu - "Ridge People", origially part of the Hevhaitanio, lived in the hill country along the Upper Smoky River in Colorado)
• Ná`kuimana ("Bear People")
• Hotametaneo (Hotnowa, Hownowa - "Poor People")
• Wotápio (from the Lakotiyapi word Wutapiu: - "Eat with Lakota-Sioux", "Half-Cheyenne", "Cheyenne-Sioux", originally a band of Lakota Sioux which joined the Southern Cheyenne)
• Wóopotsît (Wóhkpotsit, Woxpometaneo - "White Wolf", "White River")
• Ohktounna (Oktogana, Oqtóguna or Oktoguna - "Bare Legged", "Protruding Jaw", referring to the art of dancing the Deer Dance before they were going to war, almost wiped out by an cholera epidemic in 1849)
• Southern Só'taeo'o (Suhtai or Sutaio, married only other Só'taeo'o (Northern or Southern alike) and camped always separate from the other Cheyenne camps, maintained closest ties to the Hisiometaneo band)
  • first band
  • second band

The Heviksnipahis, Hévhaitanio, Masikota, Omísis (Notameohmésêhese proper), Só'taeo'o (Suhtai or Sutaio, Northern and Southern), Wotápio, Oivimána (Northern and Southern), Hisíometanio, Ohktounna and the Hónowa were the ten principal bands that had the right to send four chief delegates representing them in the Council of Forty-Four.

After the Masikota had been almost wiped out through a cholera epidemic in 1849, the remaining Masikota joined the Dog Soldiers warrior society (Hotamétaneo'o). They effectively became a separate band and in 1850 took over the position in the camp circle formerly occupied by the Masikota. The members often opposed policies of peace chiefs such as Black Kettle. Over time the Dog Soldiers took a prominent leadership role in the wars against the whites. In 1867, most of the band were killed by United States Army forces in the Battle of Summit Springs.

Due to an increasing division between the Dog Soldiers and the council chiefs with respect to policy towards the whites, the Dog Soldiers became separated from the other Cheyenne bands. They effectively became a third division of the Cheyenne people, between the Northern Cheyenne, who ranged north of the Platte River, and the Southern Cheyenne, who occupied the area north of the Arkansas River.