The Story of the Origin of the Arapaho People (Part 1)

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The following is a the first part of a transcript of stories told by Dr. Pius Moss, an Elder of the Arapaho Tribe on the Wind River Reservation. We have tried to preserve word usage and terminology as much as possible. --The Editors

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Arapaho, as far as origin. At one time this land...there was no land here but water. Well, briefly, and it's very brief, I've never added nothing. I've heard this time and time again from my father, my aunts and uncles in the English relationship....but in the Arapaho they were my fathers and mothers.

So, I've heard this time and again that the place we live in now, was all water. And the old man we call the Flat Pipe, he was somewhat tired of being in the water. So he called for help. Well, after so long for some time, how many ducks flew by. Ten, twelve, whatever, but ducks flew by. They heard his plea for help. So they went down and he made the approach saying he needed help. "Do you want to get some land?" So, the ducks said that they would help. Do what they could. So they, in turn, went down into the depths of the lake or waterbed, or whatever it is....ocean.

In due time they began to come back. Some didn't have anything, some had very little in their bills....very little earth. And they didn't accumulate too fast and the old man just wasn't satisfied. Still, he had something that he did not have before.

So, in due time, here comes a turtle. The turtle, then, was summoned by the old man, if he could help...going down into the depths of the ocean or water or lake to see if he could retrieve some land. Earth. He said that he would do what he could...glad to help. So then he went down. All right...in due time, here he comes back with a bit more than what the ducks had come up with. Then he went down how many times. Each time he came up with more. That satisfies the old man and then, as far as we're concerned, that's how land was established and that's how creation was established.

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As far as our instructions...the information has never been put out in such a way to where it's been stereotyped or been distorted. It's simple. That's why I believe the elders when they tell me we were here all the time under those circumstances. And that was the origin of the Arapaho. We were here all the time in the Great Plains area. The anthropologists do state that we came from Southeast Asia across a land bridge between Alaska and Siberia, then came into the Northern American continent into the area of the Great Lakes, then on down into the area of New Jersey. Then westerly to the Great Lakes area, Minnesota, and then eventually back to the Great Plains.

Now....that is what the anthropologists have come up with and the time involved? You pick up a book and it says 2,000 years. The next book will say 3,000....4,000. Information that I have received is simple but true. Now, we speak of oral instruction and the elders say...and I myself believe....that because the culture of the mainstream of life that has enveloped us, it has the tendency to overcome our thoughts at times. At times we will surrender to that other culture and distort some of the oral information. That is why I say the old people gave instructions orally and, as simple as they were, they were maintained that way.

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At one time, for the Native American....that's including all Native Americans...there was a land of plenty. Actually there was that time. But then, progress...or whatever you might call it. Very near 500 years ago, the western hemisphere was discovered by a man named Columbus. Then I would say about 200 or 300 years later, the actual landing took place on the eastern coast. And that's where the migration started as far as the European people.

Now, when that time came, the Indians were very kind. But in due time because of the want of property, the want of land, the people that came from the European countries began to want this...want that. A whole different Nation came into the country with the thought of this in mind. This will be mine. Whereas to the Indian, land belonged to everybody, not just one but to everybody. That was the thought that all Indians were instructed. Now, because of the influences...sickness and disease...being brought in by the immigrants, that smallpox took quite a few lives.

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The Story of the Origin of the Arapaho People (Part 2)

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The following is the second part of a transcript of stories told by Dr. Pius Moss, an Elder of the Arapaho Tribe on the Wind River Reservation. We have tried to preserve word usage and terminology as much as possible. --The Editors

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Indians depended on the buffalo which roamed the vast North American plains area. That was his way of life....the buffalo. Complete dependency on this animal. Wherever the animal was, that's where the Arapaho was. If the animal moved, he moved. He didn't wait to send scouts out to see where the animals were. At a moment's notice, he was notified that the animals were moving, he moved and that is the reason why the structure that we call a tipi was adopted by the plains Indians. It was easily taken down and easily put up in no time at all. Because of the buffalo's migration, the Arapaho had to be nomadic, in quest of the buffalo from time to time. Now, the Arapahos moved all over the plains area, eastern slope of the Rockies, into Canada, how far into Canada...there's no boundaries....east to the Mississippi River and south to the Mexican border...wherever the grass allowed the buffalo to roam in. So, in so doing, they ran into other tribes that also were in quest of this particular animal for their way of life. Often times, skirmishes...small battles....took place and that was understandable. The Arapaho did not look for trouble, but then, didn't run away from it when it came upon him. He took care of his family...protected them the way anyone in the family, as far as a man was concerned, would do.

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Now, when we say they depended on the animal entirely, that is just what the Arapaho did. We have supermarkets in this contemporary era of living. This was known also as the supermarket of the Arapaho and of all the Plains Indians. The Arapaho....everything that he needed came from this animal. Now, when an animal is depended on so greatly as the buffalo was, when that animal is annihilated -- rubbed off by the buffalo hunters from the face of the plains area -- the Arapahos and the Plains Indians were at a loss. Their area of living...their way of life...was taken away. They had to go into another area to find a way of life that would take care of them and when that began, there were changes coming in quite regular.

They started looking for the buffalo, but it just wasn't there. A few scattered...but not as plentiful as they were when they really were dependent on the animal just about every day. Now, after the animal was annihilated, the government went into the procedure of starting to herd the Indians toward Oklahoma, to situate them in a central place. Now, the Arapaho were moving all the time. Chief Black Coal, the Chief, was moving his tribe constantly. Maybe not trying to get away from the soldiers, but in quest of the buffalo. Always moving and maybe that is the reason why we are not down in Oklahoma.

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The reservation days started in 1878 for the Arapaho when the U.S. Army soldiers caught up with them. But in the meantime, Chief Black Coal had his people going back and forth...Eastern Wyoming, Western South Dakota, Western Nebraska, Western Kansas. Back and forth through that area. In due time, Chief Black Coal summed the fact up that he had to have a place for his tribe. So when they were in the area of Glenrock, Wyoming (not necessarily at that town, but in the area -- that's where the camp was) Chief Black Coal called a meeting. An assembly was had and he informed the Arapahos there that he was going west to approach Chief Washakie, if he could have his tribe live there in the same area. He wanted 10 or 12 volunteers...no women, no children.

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Now, I will go back here a little bit. The reason for his nomadic status and migrating. The home base of the Arapahos is Ft. Collins, Colorado....that whole area. Because of what happened in the State of Colorado...the Sand Creek Massacre...the Arapahos left the area. Their belief and custom is that wherever death occurs, they do not go back. I have realized that in my growing up years in my own family. Now, after the San Creek Massacre, they never went back to this area no more. They stayed completely away from it because of the massacre. As far as history tells us and what the Arapahos say...the women, children old men and those men that were in camp were just about completely wiped out. The U.S. Army opening fire on a camp that had the American flag and the flag of truce flying in camp. Now, just whatever happened, why it happened that way has not been actually or really determined. Because of that happening, the Arapahos did leave and never return...but that was their home country.

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The Arapahos were roaming back and forth, finally winding up, like I said in the Glenrock area. Chief Black Coal got his volunteers and the number he called for...and they prepared for the trek west to the Wind River country.

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Dr. Pius Moss was a direct descendent of Chief Black Coal. The Wyoming Companion continues the story of the origins of the Arapaho in the future with the story of how the Arapaho came to live on the Wind River Reservation in Part Three.

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The Story of the Origin of the Arapaho People (Part 3)

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The following is a the third part of a transcript of stories told by Dr. Pius Moss, an Elder of the Arapaho Tribe on the Wind River Reservation. We have tried to preserve word usage and terminology as much as possible. --The Editors

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So, those men left the camp...went west through Casper... then on up toward the Wind River country...came into the Hudson area (Hudson, Wyoming)...then cut across, northwesterly until he came into the Hot Springs area. He brought his men to the hills south of Hot Springs. When he overlooked the area, he noticed a big camp of Shoshone in the valley there. The Shoshone were having somewhat of a pow-wow. A celebration with lots of dust...horse races. He told his men, "Well, this is what I came for. I will now prepare myself to go down to see my friend, Chief Washakie." Now, Chief Washakie and Chief Black Coal were friends, but the tribes were bitter enemies. These two men were friends...one for one tribe and one from the other.

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Now he prepared himself. Put on clean clothes, combed his hair, put on a traditional wrap on one side of his braid and then the traditional braid on the other....denoting that he was a Chief. So he told his men, "Give me enough time to go into camp and then enough time for me to come out into the open. If you see someone coming out into the open, waving a buffalo robe, that's a signal coming from me for you to come down. There will be no danger for you to come down.

There are two meanings as far as cleaning up is concerned. Combing his hair, putting on clean clothes. In case that he did meet death in the camp, he'd be properly dressed when death occurred. In that, as far as the Great Spirit receiving him in a clean manner, clothing and otherwise. So he left his gun, he left his knife, everything that concerned being on the warpath the left. He went down to the camp clean. He walked down. He left his horse. When he got to the camp, very close no one noticed him. When he got within the bounds of the camp, that's when the young people noticed him...that he was not one of them. So right away they got around him and they wanted to kill him. But he kept making the sign that meant, "I want to see my friend the Chief." So one of the young people took note of that and summoned Chief Washakie. About that time, the treat to Chief Black Coal was just about to be exercised...to kill him. Chief Washakie, realizing this, told the young people, "Whoever touches this man will have to answer to me." So then, the young people, hearing that, dispersed.

That's when the treaty began between these two friends...two Chiefs. The treaty was on the terms of Chief Black Coal, asking Chief Washakie if he could bring his tribe to live under the protection of his wing. So, Chief Washakie allowed that. In the course of the treaty, Chief Washakie said, "Your tribe will utilize the area east of the spring, clean on to the eastern end of the reservation. And my tribe, the Shoshones, will utilize west of the spring to the mountain and on up to the Crowheart country...Dubois country." So that was the treaty made by these two men. Now, in the treaty it also stated that any Arapahos coming into the Shoshone area would not be molested. The same way with the Shoshones coming into the lowlands of the Arapaho area. They would not be molested or harmed.

That's how the treaty was made and that's how it stands to this day. There was no Congressional action or anything like that. Just two men...their word was their bond and that bond was recognized by the tribal members of both Chiefs. That was the beginning of the Arapahos living in the Wind River Country.