While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
The Arikara, a semi sedentary
tribe of farmers and earth lodge
dwellers lived on the upper Missouri
river. The tribe were also known as
Ree and were Caddoan speakers like
their southern relatives the Pawnee.
The Arikara signed the 1851 treaty
at Fort Laramie defining tribal
boundaries. Scouts from the tribe
accompanied Custer's Black Hills,
Dakota expedition. Custer's favorite
scout was an Arikara called Bloody
Knife who was killed with Major
Reno's battalion at the battle of
the Little Big Horn. The grizzly
bear claw on Black Fox's magnificent
necklace is attached to a collar of
otter skin; the turban head-dress is
also of otter and is surmounted by
three golden eagle feathers which
are symbolic of outstanding deeds
performed in battle.
Famous of infamous for his
changing allegiances and episodes
with Crazy Horse. Little Big Man was
Crazy Horse's Lieutenant and
threatened to kill the Black Hills
Commissioners. However after
surrendering along with Crazy Horse
he switched allegiance and was
directly involved with Crazy Horse's
death by assisting in pinning his
arms. It was said the Little Big Man
was crafty, but with considerable
ability and presence whilst being a
recognised trouble maker. It is
reported that Crazy Horse's last
words to Little Big Man as he ran
from the tiny cell, being bayoneted
by a soldier, were "Let me go, you
have hurt me enough".
Sharp Nose was a Northern Arapaho
Chief and the successor to Black
Coal. The Arapaho were not as strong
as other tribes and so carefully
maintained good relations with a
host of their neighbors, such as
Comanche, Kiowa and Cheyenne. Sharp
Nose was an inspirational leader who
handled his men with rare judgment
and coolness whilst being modest and
exceptionally brave. The Arapaho
joined forces with the Chippewa,
Crow, Hidatsa and Sioux during the
redistribution of tribes in the
seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries.
The Kiowa, traditionally among
the most warlike of the plains
tribes, lived in the early
eighteenth century around the Black
Hills and upper Yellowstone River
where they were allies of the Crow
and enemies of the Cheyenne and
Sioux. About 1850 they moved south
to East Colorado and West Oklahoma
where they were friendly with the
Arapaho. Most of the existing Kiowa
live today in western Oklahoma. Two
Hatchet is illustrated holding a
rattle and feather fan used in the
Peyote ceremony.
Sitting Bull was born in 1831 at
Grand River in what is today South
Dakota. He was the only son of a
Hunkpapa warrior-Returns Again.
Sitting Bull became an outstanding
warrior and spiritual leader as
chief of the Hunkpapa Sioux. He
could claim more than sixty coups.
Direct conflict with Washington
arose in the 1860's when the tribe
were offered space in the Powdered
river country, to the west of the
Big Horn mountains. In 1876 the War
Department took steps to round up
Sitting Bull's tribes for
transferring to a reservation. This
act led to General Sheridan's
expedition which culminated in the
battle of the Little Big Horn.
