Cheyenne Dog Soldiers vs. Pawnee Warriors | A Savage Circle of Revenge and Retribution

Описание: Colorado, 1853. The vibrant colors of spring surround Little Robe, yet his heart remains heavy.
Even the gentle flow of the Platte River fails to calm his troubled spirit as the morning gives way
to a warm afternoon.
He is traveling southward toward the largest village of his people, the formidable and feared
Cheyenne. For weeks, a shadow of dread has loomed over him and many others in his tribe.
Their revered chief, Alites on a Cloud—a respected warrior—was killed in battle against their
bitter enemies, the Pawnee.
The Pawnee have unleashed a wave of terror, raiding, destroying, and murdering their way
through smaller Cheyenne camps. Now, Little Robe rides with purpose: to seek help. As he
turns onto Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Platte River, his spirits lift at the sight of the bustling
Cheyenne village alive with activity.
This is always a busy season for the Cheyenne, just before the summer buffalo hunts and
during preparations for the Medicine Lodge ceremony—their most sacred annual ritual.
However, this year brings an unusual level of commotion. For days, visitors from smaller bands
have been arriving in search of refuge from the relentless Pawnee attacks. They hope that
joining the larger camp will provide safety in numbers. But more than safety, they seek
vengeance.
Many have lost loved ones and possessions to the Pawnee raids in recent weeks. As Little
Robe enters the camp, he notices a line of Cheyenne gathered outside the largest lodges. Each
person carries an offering—blankets, food, or even horses—intended for those inside.
Within these lodges are the esteemed warrior societies of the Cheyenne: the Fox Warrior
Society, Elk Warrior Society, Shield Warrior Society, and Dog Warrior Society. These groups
serve as military units, police forces, and hunting parties and hold a vital role in Cheyenne life.
Little Robe’s mission is to visit each society. He has spent the past week traveling across the
territory to rally support from allies such as the Kiowa, Burnt Thigh Sioux, Apache, and their
steadfast friends, the Arapaho. Now he seeks to unite all Cheyenne warrior societies against
their shared enemy.
He moves from lodge to lodge, meeting with each society’s leaders to explain his mission and
recount tales of Pawnee atrocities shared by those waiting outside. To each headman, he offers
a pipe of war—a sacred gesture symbolizing commitment. Taking four draws from the pipe
signifies their pledge to join the fight.
Before embarking on the warpath against the Pawnee, the Kiowa, Apache, Burnt Leg Sioux, a
few Crow warriors, and the Arapaho gather at the Cheyenne camp to participate in the medicine
ceremony—a profound spiritual tradition common among many northern Plains tribes. Often
misunderstood as a mere test of endurance, this ceremony involves days of fasting, chanting,
and dancing while tethered to a large pole by leather cords pierced through the skin of the upper
chest. Though young men typically volunteer for this grueling ritual, it is regarded more as a
spiritual quest than a public display of pain tolerance.
The Kitfox soldiers, highly esteemed among the northern Cheyenne, lead this sacred endeavor
as dictated by Cheyenne tradition. The ceremony holds immense significance in Cheyenne
society and is rarely witnessed by outsiders. George Bird Grinnell, an American anthropologist
and historian, provides a detailed account in his writings. He describes how the warrior and two
experienced instructors prepare for the ritual by cutting the pole to which he will be tied. When a
suitable cottonwood tree is found, the instructors guide the warrior through symbolic
motions—four gestures mimicking cutting with an axe—before he actually cuts down the tree.
Similarly, four motions precede lifting and dragging the pole to its designated location.