They recognize among
themselves five main divisions, each speaking a different
dialect and apparently representing as many originally
distinct but cognate tribes, viz:
(1) Nákasine'na, Báachinena, or Northern Arapaho. Nakasinena,
`sagebrush men,' is the name used by themselves. Baachinena, `red
willow men (?),' is the name by which they were commonly known to the
rest of the tribe. The Kiowa distinguished them as Tägyäko, `sagebrush
people,' a translation of their proper name. They keep the sacred
tribal articles, and are considered the nucleus or mother tribe of the
Arapaho, being indicated in the sign language (q. v.) by the sign for
"mother people."
(2) Náwunena, 'southern men,' or Southern Arapaho, called Nawathíneha,
southerners,' by the Northern Arapaho. The Kiowa know them as Ähayädal,
the (plural) name given to the wild plum. The sign for them is made by
rubbing the index finger against the side of the nose.
(3) Aä'ninena, Hitúnena, atsina, or Gros Ventres of the Prairie. The
first name, said to mean `white clay people,' is that by which they
call themselves. Hitúnena, or Hittiuenina, 'begging men,' `beggars,'
or more exactly 'spongers,'' is the name by which they are called by
the other Arapaho. The same idea is intended to be conveyed by the
tribal sign, which has commonly been interpreted as `big bellies,'
whence the name Gros Ventres applied to them by the French Canadians.
In this way they have been by some writers confused with the Hidatsa,
the Gros Ventres of the Missouri.
(4) Bäsawunena, ' wood-lodge people,' or, possibly, ' big lodge
people.' These, according to tradition, were formerly a distinct tribe
and at war with the Arapaho, but have been incorporated for at least
150 years. Their dialect is said to have differed considerably from
the other Arapaho dialects. There are still about 50 of this lineage
among the Northern Arapaho, and perhaps a few with the other two main
divisions.
(5) Hánahawuuena (`rock men' Kroeber) or Aanû'nhawa. These, like the
Bäsawunena, lived with the Northern Arapaho, but are now practically
extinct.
The two main divisions, Northern and Southern, are
subdivided into several local bands, as follows:
(a) Forks of the River Men
(b) Bad Pipes
(c) Greasy Faces, among the Northern Arapaho;
(d) Wáquithi, bad faces,
(e) Agáthine'na, pleasant men,
(f) Gawunena, Blackfeet, said to be of Siksika admixture;
(g) Háqihana, wolves,
(h) Sästábäithi, looking up, or looking around, i. e., watchers.
Consult Mooney, Ghost Dance Religion, in 14th Rep. B.
A. E., II, 1896; Clark, Ind. Sign Language, 1885; Hayden, Ethnog. and
Philol. Mo. Val, 1862; Kroeber, The Arapaho, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat.
Hist., xviii, 1900: Dorsey and Kroeber, Traditions of the Arapaho,
Field Colulnb. Mus. Pubs., Anthrop. ser., v, 1903; Dorsey, Arapaho Sun
Dance, ibid., iv, 1903.
