Dog Soldiers facts for kids
The Dog Soldiers or Dog Men (in Cheyenne: Hotamétaneo'o) were a brave group within the Cheyenne military societies. Starting in the late 1830s, this group changed into a separate, strong band. They played a big part in the Cheyenne people's efforts to protect their lands. These lands were in what is now Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming.
After many Southern Cheyenne people died from a sickness in 1849, some survivors joined the Dog Soldiers. This made them an even stronger, separate group. They lived between the Northern Cheyenne and Southern Cheyenne groups. The Dog Soldiers often disagreed with peace leaders like Black Kettle. In 1869, most of the Dog Soldiers were killed by the United States Army in the Battle of Summit Springs in Colorado Territory. After this, the surviving Cheyenne societies became smaller and more private.
Today, the Dog Soldiers society is being revived. This is happening in places like the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana and among the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma.
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Cheyenne Tribal Leadership
The Cheyenne people had two main ways of leading their tribe. These were the Council of Forty-four and the Cheyenne military societies, which included the Dog Soldiers. The Council of Forty-Four was made up of chiefs. There were four chiefs from each of the ten Cheyenne groups. There were also four main "Old Man" chiefs who had served well before.
While the chiefs led their groups and the whole tribe, the leaders of the warrior societies had different jobs. They kept order within the tribe. They also oversaw tribal hunts and special ceremonies. Most importantly, they led the tribe in military matters.
The Dog Soldiers' Role
Historically, the Dog Soldiers were known as very strong and skilled fighters. One story tells how they would "pin" themselves to the ground during a battle. They did this using a long piece of cloth from their clothing and one of their three "Sacred Arrows." This showed their strong commitment to fighting for their land.
How the Dog Soldiers Became a Separate Group
Porcupine Bear's Story
Before 1840, the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho people were allies. They fought against their traditional enemies, the Comanche, Kiowa, and Plains Apache. In 1837, a group of 48 Cheyenne warriors were killed by Kiowa and Comanche fighters. Porcupine Bear, a Dog Soldier chief, decided to lead a war to get revenge.
He traveled to different Cheyenne and Arapaho camps to gain support. He reached a Northern Cheyenne camp where people had traded for drinks. Porcupine Bear joined in the drinking and sang war songs. Two of his cousins, Little Creek and Around, got into a fight. Porcupine Bear stopped the fight, but he accidentally hurt Little Creek.
According to the rules of the warrior societies, a member who hurt another tribe member was expelled. Porcupine Bear was removed from the Dog Soldiers. He and his family had to camp away from the rest of the Cheyenne. The Dog Soldiers were shamed by what happened. Other chiefs told them not to lead the war against the Kiowa.
Even though he was an outlaw, Porcupine Bear led the Dog Soldiers into battle. They fought the Kiowa and Comanche. His warriors were the first to strike the enemy, which was a great honor. But because they were outlaws, their brave act was not celebrated.
The Dog Soldier Band Forms
Because Porcupine Bear and his followers were outlaws, the Dog Soldiers changed. They went from being just a warrior society to a separate part of the tribe. In 1849, a sickness greatly reduced the Masikota band of Cheyenne. The remaining Masikota people then joined the Dog Soldiers.
When all the Cheyenne groups camped together, the Dog Soldier band took the place of the Masikota. Strong warriors from other groups also joined the Dog Soldier band over time. The Dog Soldiers became important leaders in the wars against the white settlers. The rest of the tribe began to respect them again.
The Dog Soldiers also changed the traditional Cheyenne family system. Usually, when a man married, he moved to his wife's family camp. But the Dog Soldiers brought all wives to their own camp. Many deaths from the 1849 sickness also changed the family system. The Sand Creek massacre in 1864 caused even more disruption. The Dog Soldiers were not at Sand Creek during the massacre.
The Dog Soldiers' territory was in what is now southern Nebraska, northern Kansas, and northeast Colorado. They were allies with the Lakota and Brulé Lakota people. Many Dog Soldiers were part Lakota, including their leader Tall Bull. In the mid-1860s, Dog Soldier leaders often asked the great warrior Roman Nose to lead attacks against white settlers and soldiers. He led an attack on Fort Wallace in 1867.
The Dog Soldiers became very different from the other Southern Cheyenne groups. They were like a third division of the Cheyenne people. The Northern Cheyenne lived north of the Platte River. The Southern Cheyenne lived north of the Arkansas River.
The Dog Soldiers were a strong group, with about 100 lodges (homes). They were against the white settlers moving onto their lands. By the 1860s, conflicts grew. The Dog Soldiers became more influential. They were a strong voice against the traditional Council of Forty-Four chiefs, who often wanted peace with the white settlers.
Indian Wars
In the late 1860s, the Dog Soldiers were key in the Cheyenne people's fight to keep their land. The Dog Soldiers refused to sign treaties that would limit their hunting grounds. They did not want to be forced onto a reservation south of the Arkansas River. They tried to hold onto their lands at Smoky Hill. However, General Philip Sheridan's campaigns made this difficult. After the Battle of Beecher Island, many Dog Soldiers had to move south of the Arkansas River.
In the spring of 1867, they went north to join Red Cloud and his Oglala group. General Eugene Asa Carr attacked them. In revenge, the Dog Soldiers began raiding settlements on the Smoky Hill River. Eventually, Chief Tall Bull led them west into Colorado. After raiding sites in Kansas, they were attacked by soldiers and Pawnee Scouts. In the Battle of Summit Springs in June 1869, 23 Dog Soldiers were killed, including Tall Bull.
Images for kids
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A modern Dog Soldier headdress at a pow wow
