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The Cheyenne Tribe in Oklahoma

Because the Cheyenne tribe has left an indelible mark on the culture of Oklahoma, our state is a great place to touch the history of this interesting group of people. Their art, traditions, and people have blended into Oklahoma adding their own rich heritage to our unique society. Walk on the Battlefield of the Washita where Black Kettle’s village was attacked by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer. Visit museums depicting Cheyenne life and the events leading up to the Battle of the Washita, or a trading post that has been selling Cheyenne wares for over 100 years where the owner will regale you with stories about the Cheyenne artisans. Come experience the history and get to know the Cheyenne tribe in Oklahoma.

A Cheyenne Heritage Trail You Can Follow

This trip will take you through western Oklahoma to a number of places where you can experience the history of the Cheyenne people. Your journey begins in Clinton, Oklahoma where you can visit the Cheyenne Cultural Center and the Mohawk Lodge Indian Store & Trading Post on the eastern edge of town on Highway 66. The Cheyenne Cultural Center stands on the land allotment that belonged to the extended family of director and Cheyenne Peace Chief Lawrence Hart. Call ahead (580-323-6224) to ensure that the Cultural Center will be open when you plan to visit and to learn about current exhibits. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to visit with the owner of the Mohawk Lodge Indian Store & Trading Post (580-323-2360) which is equal parts museum and authentic Indian craft store. The proprietress, Pat Henry, will enthrall you as she takes you on a tour through her store, showing you original antique photos of Cheyennes that have traded at the historic site over the past century. The Mohawk Trading Post, the first trading post in Indian Territory, was opened in 1892 in Colony, Oklahoma by the Dutch Reformed Church to provide a means for the Indians to make and sell their handmade goods. The store circulated a catalog on the East Coast until 1939 to promote the unique creations crafted by the Cheyenne women. The original beading house where Cheyenne women spent untold hours creating their masterpieces is shown in the photo at right, taken in 1900. It was moved lock, stock, and barrel from Colony to its present location in Clinton in 1940. The store still buys, sells, and trades authentic Indian crafts and artifacts across the same counter used in 1892. So whether you are looking for a Pendleton blanket, an authentic pair of beaded moccasins, or supplies such as beads and hides, you can find them at the Mohawk Lodge.

From Clinton, continue on to Cheyenne, Oklahoma in the heart of Cheyenne country. Here you’ll find the Black Kettle Museum (580-497-3929) displaying and interpreting the history of the Cheyenne tribe in Oklahoma. Packed with photos, displays and artifacts, this museum contains a wealth of information on the Cheyenne tribe and the US Cavalry that opposed them at the Battle of the Washita. The museum provides a comprehensive look at the events leading up to and surrounding the attack. A stop here is an excellent prelude to a visit to the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site (580-497-3929). Across the street from the Black Kettle Museum, you’ll find the headquarters for the Washita Battlefield. The battlefield is actually 2 miles down the road, but information is available, and ranger-led walks can be arranged here. During the summer months, (late May through mid August) free ranger-led walks leave from and end up at the battlefield overlook at the Historic Site five times a day. From the overlook, you can survey the valley where Black Kettle’s village lay sleeping, as well as the distant ridge where Custer and his troops hid while waiting for the signal to attack. Also in Cheyenne, on the road between the Black Kettle Museum and the Historic Site, visit the Clara Blinn House, a tea room, antique store and Native American art gallery named after a white settler who was held captive by the Cheyenne tribe. Efforts were being made to secure her release when she was killed in the Washita massacre. The Clara Blinn House is part of a colony of Native American artisans producing and selling authentic works to the public. Called the Village Within, the group also includes the Gallery of the Two Sons and Buffalo Hunt Studio. For more information, call 580-497-3583.

From Cheyenne, head north towards Fort Supply, Oklahoma. Along the way, just north of Durham on State Highway 30, you’ll catch a glimpse of the Antelope Hills. These hills have served as landmarks for Spanish conquistadors, Cheyenne and other Indian tribes, and white settlers. They once marked the international line between the U.S. and the Mexican borders. At Fort Supply Historic Site (580-766-3767), Custer established a forward supply base to support his winter campaign in 1868. It was from Fort Supply that Custer and 800 troops set out in a blizzard towards the Washita River and Black Kettle’s village. There are historic frontier stockade buildings at Fort Supply dating from the late 1800’s, and it is here that the Cheyenne captives were taken after the Battle of the Washita. Call ahead to verify hours of operation.

Then, it’s on to Woodward to visit the Plains Indians and Pioneers Museum (580-256-6136) with exhibits on the area’s native peoples comprised primarily of Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. Learn more about the Cheyenne Indians and explore the “Like My Fathers Before Me” exhibit which focuses on the tribe. Located at 2009 Williams Avenue, the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Just outside of Woodward, Boiling Springs State Park (580-256-7664) is a good place to unwind and reflect on everything you’ve taken in so far. The Cheyenne people, settlers, and weary cowboys have been drawn to the tirelessly flowing fresh springs here for over a hundred years. Stay in the park’s cabins or campgrounds and enjoy the abundant wildlife including deer and wild turkey.

Follow highway 412 towards Fairview and you’ll find yourself driving through the ancient Glass Mountains. The Glass Mountains are one of the many geological wonders Oklahoma has to offer. This scenic strip is almost another world with its rugged high-topped mesas rising up from the prairie. A "painted desert" effect can be seen in many locations due to the exposure of different rock strata, and the sparkle of gypsum and selenite gives many of the mesas a glittering look. There is a roadside rest area with an information kiosk and parking lot where you can park and hike through the red mesas. A state park is in the developmental stages here and steps have been placed on one mesa enabling visitors to reach the top and take in the view which goes on as far as the eye can see.

From the Glass Mountains, continue on to Roman Nose State Park (580-623-7281) near Watonga. The Cheyenne tribe, led by Chief Henry Roman Nose, their last warrior-chief, made their winter campgrounds in the canyons which are now part of the park. In 1891, he chose his former campground as his land allotment. Today, you can stay at the park in a modern lodge, cabin, campground, or rent a tipi for the night. Enjoy horseback riding, explore the miles of hiking trails, or wade in the freshwater springs that bubble up and fill the park's rock-lined swimming pool. Relax while canoeing and paddle boating on the park's two lakes or try your hand at tennis, volleyball or miniature golf. An 18-holf golf course is also available at this resort park.

After your tour of Cheyenne country in western Oklahoma, you’ll have a much greater appreciation for the tribe that called itself "tsististas", or simply "the people". To give you a taste of what you’ll learn along the trail, a brief history of the Battle of the Washita and the events leading up to it is given below.

History of the Battle of the Washita

Due to the westward push of white settlers, the Cheyenne moved from their homeland in Minnesota, where they had been agriculturists, to the plains of Nebraska and Kansas. With the aid of horses, they adopted the nomadic, buffalo-hunting lifestyle of the other Plains Indian tribes. They moved and hunted with their neighbors from the old homeland, the Arapahos, often wintering in Oklahoma.

After the Civil War, the number of white settlers heading west increased again. Their routes passed through the adopted homeland of the Cheyenne in Nebraska and Kansas. As the settlers put increased pressures on the buffalo herds and game in the area, tensions escalated, and the cultural collision between pioneers and Indians reached its peak. In 1864, the US Cavalry under the command of Col. J.M. Chivington attacked and destroyed the Cheyenne camp of Chief Black Kettle and Chief White Antelope on Sand Creek in Colorado Territory. A respected leader, Black Kettle sought peace for his people, and had been flying both the US flag and a white flag over the camp to signal his peaceful intentions.

Chief Black Kettle and his wife survived the Sand Creek Massacre, and after seeing the devastation, he was more determined than ever to remain at peace with the whites. In 1867, Cheyenne and Arapaho chiefs, including Black Kettle, signed the Medicine Lodge Treaty, which assigned both tribes to a reservation in western Indian Territory. While living on the banks of the Washita River, near present-day Cheyenne, Oklahoma, small bands of young men opposed to reservation life continued raids in Kansas. In retaliation, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer was ordered by Major Gen. Phillip Sheridan to carry out a winter campaign. On November 23, 1868, Custer left Camp Supply (present-day Fort Supply, Oklahoma) with about 800 troops and marched south through a foot of new snow towards Black Kettle’s camp.

Black Kettle and Arapaho Chief Big Mouth had just traveled to Fort Cobb, near present-day Anadarko, to seek protection from the agent there. The agent, Col. William Hazen, told the chiefs that they could not move their people to his area because he was not an agent for the Cheyenne and Arapaho. Disappointed, they returned to their camp on the Washita River on November 26, 1868. Upon returning, Black Kettle met with other leaders and decided to move the camp the next day. However, Custer and his men had already arrived and were hidden behind a ridge just beyond the camp.

At dawn on November 27, the Regimental Band of the Seventh Cavalry played "Gary Owen" signaling the attack. In the mad rush for safety that ensued, Black Kettle and his wife, Medicine Woman Later, were shot off their horse and fell into the river. Custer reported killing about 100 warriors, but the Cheyenne estimated 11 warriors, and 19 women and children lost their lives. Another 50 or so Cheyennes, mostly women and children, were taken as captives back to Camp Supply. To cripple resistance, Custer ordered the slaughter of over 800 animals in the pony herd and the torching of the Cheyenne's winter supply of food and clothing.