The Story of the Origin of the Arapaho People

(Part 2)

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.