March, 1905. The Cheyenne — Dorsey. 15 



one is an old-time magician, the second is the Prophet, or one 

 who has performed the great Medicine- Arrow ceremony, the third 

 is one who understands all about the Sun-dance, the fourth is one 

 who has performed and understands all about the sacred animal 

 ceremony and dance. When these four medicine-men are through 

 addressing the new chiefs, then all people come and see them. The 

 new chiefs go out, give feasts, and give away many presents to the 

 poor and needy people. 



6.— THE FIVE ORIGINAL WARRIOR SOCIETIES OF THE 

 GREAT PROPHET. 



Before the time of the original great Prophet, the Cheyenne were 

 governed by one chief and a magician who assisted him. Until the 

 great Prophet brought the four great medicine-arrows to the Cheyenne, 

 he with his assistants exercised absolute power over them. The 

 Prophet organized the tribe into bands, instituted the office of chief, 

 and imposed the rank of warrior on all males of fifteen years and more. 

 These warriors he grouped into five societies, who, with the chief, 

 were responsible for the conduct of the tribe. The societies were 

 called the Red-Shield, Hoof-Rattle, Coyote, Dog-Men's, and Inverted 

 or Bow-String. Each society was formed by certain medicine-men, 

 who had been instructed by the original great Prophet, and each 

 society was controlled by a chief with seven assistants. These were 

 appointed by the warriors for their courage and bravery in battle. 

 The warrior chiefs understand all of the songs and their assistants 

 are councilors among the warriors. The warrior chiefs finally become 

 chiefs and their assistants become war chiefs. Should a member of 

 any of the five warrior societies distinguish himself in battle by the 

 performance of some extraordinary act in behalf of any of his fellows, 

 he wears thereafter, as a badge of distinction, a buckskin coat adorned 

 with fringe of hair of the enemy. See Plate VI. The experienced 

 warrior has presence of mind, is ever on the alert, and is brave, always 

 protecting his fellows. He wears a war-bonnet, which trails down 

 his back to the ground, and if he is a distinguished chief or warrior, 

 he decorates it with eagle feathers tipped with locks of human hair. 

 See Plate VII. The shirt and war-bonnet are usually worn by the 

 seven assistants of the warrior societies. Marks of distinction are 

 conferred upon those who have been brave in encounters with neigh- 

 boring tribes in open battles or who have led warriors against the 

 enemy successfully, or who four times have scalped an enemy alive, 

 or who have rescued one or many times one of his fellows who has been 



