PAINTINGS: “From Her Heart Thru Her Hands…“ SERIES

“TEEPEE MAKERS - NORTHERN CHEYENNE WOMEN"

Northern Cheyenne women made their teepees.  They tanned the buffalo hides, using sinew they sewed them together to make the covers for their teepees.  One or two women were able to make a sturdy weather proof shelter that was portable so that the group could follow the herds. 

In recognition for this amazing feat, she was honored by her people.  There was a Women’s Guild that recognized the strength and dedication of these Teepee Makers.  A group of women represent the Guild within this painting. The honors given through the Guild to their women members were equivalent to the highest coup/scalp recognition actions given to the warriors. 

In this MCC painting there is a line drawn on the inside of the teepee that represents the Trail of the Northern Cheyenne Exodus.  It begins in the lower center of the painting and moves upward to the sky opening.

Following the Battle of Little Bighorn the attempts by the U.S. Army forced Crazy Horse and a few Cheyenne chiefs & their people to surrender, 1877.  Starting with 972 people they were moved to the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation in Kansas Territory and only 937 survived.  The poverty-stricken conditions on this reservation were very bad and did not improve.  The Cheyenne chiefs began to move back north on Sept. 9, 1878 with 297 men, women, and children.   The U.S. Army continued to follow them north and stop their Exodus as best they could with their limited military might.  the northern Cheyenne moved north thru Kansas Territory, Nebraska, part of Dakota Territory and were finally able to return to their original Montana Territory in 1879.  This area eventually became the reservation for the Northern Cheyenne near the Black Hills.

"TEEPEE MAKERS - NORTHERN CHEYENNE WOMEN"

24"H x 20" W

Mixed Medium: acrylic paints, inks & craypas pastels on Bristol Board

Photo by SkyLark Images