Arapaho

Total population
5,000
Regions with significant populations
United States (Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Nebraska)
Languages
English, Arapaho
Religion
Christianity, traditional religion
Related ethnic groups
Cheyenne and other Algonquian peoples

The Arapaho (in French: Arapahos, Gens de Vache) are a tribe of Native Americans historically living on the eastern plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Sioux. Arapaho is an Algonquian language closely related to Gros Ventre, whose people are seen as an early offshoot of the Arapaho. Blackfoot and Cheyenne are the other Algonquian-speakers on the Plains, but their languages are quite different from Arapaho. By the 1850s, Arapaho bands had coalesced into two tribes: the Northern Arapaho and Southern Arapaho.

Since 1878 the Northern Arapaho Nation has lived with the Eastern Shoshone on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. This is the seventh-largest reservation in the United States. The Southern Arapaho Tribe live with the Southern Cheyenne in Oklahoma. Together their members are enrolled as a federally recognized tribe, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.

Early history and culture[link]

Scabby Bull, Arapaho

There is no direct historical or archaeological evidence to suggest how and when Arapaho bands entered the Great Plains. The Arapaho Indian tribe most likely lived in Minnesota and North Dakota before entering the Plains. Before European expansion into the area, the Arapahos were living in South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, and Kansas. They lived in tipis which the women made from bison hide. Before they were sent to reservations, they migrated often chasing herds, so they had to design their tipis so that they could be transported easily. It is said that a whole village could pack up their homes and belongings and be ready to leave in only an hour. In winter the tribe split up into camps sheltered in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in present-day Colorado. In late spring they moved out onto the Plains into large camps to hunt buffalo gathering for the birthing season. In mid-summer Arapahos traveled into the Parks region of Colorado to hunt mountain herds, returning onto the Plains in late summer to autumn for ceremonies and for collective hunts of herds gathering for the rutting season.

They originally used dogs to pull travois with their belongings on them. When the Europeans came to North America, the Arapaho saw the Europeans' horses and realized that they could travel quicker and further with horses instead of dogs. They raided other Indian tribes, primarily the Pawnee and Comanche, to get the horses they needed.

Later on, they became great traders and often sold furs to other tribes and non-Indians. The name 'Arapaho' might have come from the Pawnee word for 'traders.'

Arapaho camp, ca. 1870

The children often fished and hunted with their fathers for recreation. While they had more chores to do than present-day Arapaho, they still had time to play games. They played many games, including one involving a netted hoop and a pole where they would try to throw their pole through the center of the net. It was much like the game of darts, which is enjoyed today.

Sand Creek Massacre[link]

During November 1864, a small village of Cheyenne and Arapaho became the victims of a controversial attack by the Union Army, led by Colonel John Chivington. This attack is now known as the Sand Creek Massacre. According to an historical narrative on the Sand Creek Massacre titled "Chief Left Hand," by Margaret Coel, contributing factors that led to the Sand Creek Massacre were: Governor Evans' desire to hold title to the resource rich Denver-Boulder area; government trust officials' avoidance of Chief Left Hand (a linguistically gifted Southern Arapaho Chief), when executing a legal treaty that transferred title of the area away from Indian Trust; a local Cavalry stretched thin by the demands of the Civil War and the hijacking of their supplies by a few stray Indian warriors who had lost respect for their Chiefs; and followers of Chief Left Hand (including a group of Cheyenne and Arapaho elders, a few well behaved warriors, and mostly women and children), who had received a message to report to Fort Lyon with the promise of safety and food at the Fort, or risk being considered "hostile" and ordered killed by the Cavalry. (The tribe had been deprived of their normal wintering grounds in the Boulder area.)

Arapahoe Street, spelled with an "e" at the end, is a major downtown street in Denver, Colorado.

Upon arrival at Fort Lyon, Chief Left Hand and his followers were accused of violence by Colonel Chivington who lusted to be a war hero. It must have been a conspiracy because Chief Left Hand and his people got the message that only those Indians that reported to Fort Lyon would be considered peaceful and all others would be considered hostile and ordered killed. Confused, Chief Left Hand and his followers turned away and traveled a safe distance away from the Fort to camp. A traitor gave Colonel Chivington directions to the camp. He and his battalion stalked and attacked the camp early the next morning. Rather than heroic, Colonel Chivington's efforts were considered a gross embarrassment to the Cavalry since he attacked peaceful elders, women and children. As a result of his war efforts, instead of the promotion he aspired for, he was relieved of his duties.

The late Eugene Ridgely, a Cheyenne-Northern Arapaho artist, is generally credited with bringing to light the fact that Arapahos were involved with the Massacre. His children Gail Ridgely, Benjamin Ridgley and, Eugene "Snowball" Ridgely were instrumental in designating the massacre site as a National Historic Site. In 1999 Benjamin Ridgley and Gail Ridgley organized a group of Northern Arapaho runners to run from Limon, Colorado to Ethete, Wyoming; in memory of their ancestors who were forced to run for their lives after being stalked by Colonel Chivington and his battalion. All of their efforts will be recognized and remembered by the "Sand Creek Massacre" signs that appear along the roadways from Limon, CO up through Casper, WY and over to Ethete, WY.

Casino development[link]

Southern Arapaho women's leggings and moccasins, ca. 1910, Oklahoma History Center

In July 2005, Arapahos won a contentious court battle with the State of Wyoming to get into the gaming or casino industry. The 10th Circuit Court ruled that the State of Wyoming was acting in bad faith when it would not negotiate with the Arapahos for gaming. Presently, the Arapaho Tribe owns and operates high-stakes, Class III gaming at the Wind River Casino, Little Wind Casino and 789 Smoke Shop and Casino. They are regulated by a Gaming Commission composed of three Tribal members. The Northern Arapaho Tribe opened the first casinos in Wyoming.

Meanwhile, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes operate three casinos: the Lucky Star Casino in Clinton, the Feather Warrior Casino in Watonga, and the Feather Warrior Casino in Canton.^[1]

Notable Arapahos[link]

Chief Powder Face with war lance associated with the second dance ceremony (biitahanwu), 1864^[2]

• Chief Little Raven (ca. 1810-1889), negotiated peace between the Southern Arapaho and Cheyenne and the Comanche, Kiowa, and Plains Apache. He secured rights to the Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation in Indian Territory.^[3]
• Chief Niwot (Left Hand) (ca. 1840-1911), celebrated warrior and advocate for Arapahos in Washington D.C. He brought the Ghost Dance to the tribe and served as Principal Chief.^[4]
• Chief Niwot (ca. 1825-1864), led a band in Northern Colorado and died from wounds sustained during the Sand Creek Massacre).
• Carl Sweezy (1881–1953), early professional Native American fine artist
• Mirac Creepingbear (1947–1990), Arapaho-Kiowa painter
• Harvey Pratt (born 1941), contemporary Cheyenne-Arapaho artist

Cinema[link]

• The film producer Ciro Ippolito has made a film, entitled Arrapaho (1984), about a misadventures of fool Arapaho tribe.^[5]
• The history of the Arapaho is mentioned in the TV miniseries Centennial - based on the book of the same name by James A. Michener

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Arapaho

• Arapaho language
• Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes
• Wind River Indian Reservation

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Northern Arapaho Tribe
• The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
• Arapaho Language Sample
• Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Arapaho, Southern
• Arapaho Charter High School

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (December 2011)

Jana Mashonee
Jana Mashonee appears at the Poncan Theatre in Ponca City, Oklahoma on December 4, 2010. Photo credit: Hugh Pickens
Background information
Birth name	Jana
Origin	Robeson County, North Carolina, United States
Genres	Pop, R&B, Electronic
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actress, author, philanthropist
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Miss Molly Records
Website	www.janamashonee.com

Jana Mashonee is a singer, songwriter, actress, author and philanthropist. She is Lumbee and Tuscarora, originally from Robeson County, North Carolina, currently residing in New York City. She is currently releasing her music through Miss Molly Records available on iTunes and Amazon.

Biography[link]

First signed to Curb Records, her single, Ooh, Baby, Baby was picked as Billboard’s single of the week and went on to become a radio and sales success. More than Life followed, selling over a million copies on its own and as part of numerous compilation albums. A controversial version of Led Zeppelin’s epic Stairway to Heaven, came next, earning her the honor of being the first Native American to top the Billboard dance charts.

Exploring her cultural roots, Jana then released American Indian Story, a concept album that garnered her a second Grammy nomination. The video for the single, The Enlightened Time, won awards at film festivals around the world as well as a Nammy for Best Short Form Music Video. Music from the album is featured on the Discovery Channel’s series, Flying Wild Alaska.

Her first book, American Indian Story – The Adventures of Sha’kona, based on the Grammy nominated album of the same was also recently completed. The fantasy filled mystery-adventure young adult novel is the uplifting story of the young heroine, Sha’kona, and her journey of self-discovery and courage.

Jana continued to pay tribute to her heritage with American Indian Christmas, featuring ten classic Christmas songs sung in ten different Native American languages accompanied by a full orchestra and traditional Native American instruments. A critical and commercial success, the album won her another Nammy award. On December 16, 2011 she featured some of these songs in an emotional and intimate performance at Carnegie Hall in New York.

New Moon Born took Jana in a new direction, steeped in R&B and gospel roots, which brought her back to mainstream attention. She debuted the featured track, an emotional cover of Sam Cooke’s classic, A Change Is Gonna Come, at the American Indian Inaugural Ball for President Obama. This was her second performance for a First Family. A year earlier she sang at the First Lady’s Luncheon for Laura Bush. The song went on to win her an eighth Nammy for Song of the Year and the video took the Best Music Video prizes at the Indie Film Festival and at the American Indian Film Festival.

Jana's tour schedule has brought her to forty nine of the fifty states as well as overseas. Her Jana’s Kids Foundation has been helping Native youth through its programs and scholarship offerings for almost as long as she has been an artist. In recognition of her efforts, Jana was named 2011 Woman of the Year by "yearofthewoman2011.com" for her philanthropic work.

Jana is also an actress. In February 2012, Jana starred in Raptor Ranch, which will debut at the Berlin Film Festival.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Flash of a Firefly
  2005, Radikal Records
  2006 Nammy Award Winner
• American Indian Christmas
  2005, Standing Stone/SOAR Records
• American Indian Story
  2006, Standing Stone/SOAR Records
  2007 Grammy Award nominated
• New Moon Born
  2009, Miss Molly Records

Singles[link]

• "What Am I To You" b/w "Kind Of Love"(1997) - Top Forty on the Radio & Records’ rhythmic chart (Curb records)
• "Near Me" b/w "The Price" (1998) - A cover of a song originally by the artist Sheryl Crow. (Curb Records)
• "Ooh, Baby, Baby" (1999) - A success on radio and in the Radio & Records, DMA, Hitmakers, and Gavin charts. Billboard magazine named "Ooh, Baby, Baby" pop Single of the Week in October. (Curb Records)
• "More Than Life" (2001) - Reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Artists to Watch chart and peaked in Billboard Magazine’s Hot Shot Debut At #29. Remixes were made by DJ Skribble and Anthony Acid. (Curb Records)
• "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" (2001) - A cover of a song originally by the artist Meat Loaf. (Curb Records).
• "Stairway to Heaven" (2002) - Peaked at #7 on Billboard's Hot Dance Singles Sales chart, and was remixed by DJ Skribble. (Radikal Records)
• "Found A Love" (2003) - (Radikal Records)
• "Do It Mr. DJ" (2004) - (Xtreme Records) (Peter Presta & Jana)
• "I'll Be With You" (2006) - (Standing Stone/Radikal Records)
• "A Change Is Gonna Come" (2009) - Miss Molly Records
• "Stay With Me Baby" (2011) - Miss Molly Records

Awards and nominations[link]

• Merit Award 2009 - The Indie Fest for "A Change Is Gonna Come" video
• Grammy Award nominations
  • Nominated 2007 - Best Native American Music Album for American Indian Story.
  • Nominated 2001 - Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album. Co-writing on the song "Kiss and Tell" with Crystal Lewis, which appears on Lewis' album Fearless.

• Native American Music Awards (NAMMY's)
  • 2001-2002
    • Best Pop Artist
    • Best Pop/Rock Recording (More Than Life)
  • 2002-2003*
    • Song of the Year (Stairway to Heaven)
    • Best Female Artist (Found a Love)
  • 2005-2006
    • Record of the Year - Flash of a Firefly
    • Best Producer (Stephan Galfas and Alex Salzman) for Jana's American Indian Christmas
  • 2007
    • Best Pop Recording (American Indian Story)
  • 2008
    • Best Short Form Music Video (The Enlightened Time)
    • Best Producer (Stephan Galfas & Alex Salzman) for Jana's American Indian Christmas
  • 2009
    • Song/Single of the Year "A Change is Gonna Come"

• 2009 American Indian Film Festival
  • • Best Video "A Change is Gonna Come"

• Queens International Film Festival
  • 2007
    • Winner Best Domestic Music Video (The Enlightened Time)^[1]

Acting career[link]

• Jana appeared in the 2002 romantic comedy Dream Weaver, alongside prominent Native American actor Wes Studi.
• Jana will star as Abbi in the upcoming film Raptor Ranch.
• Jana also made a cameo in the 2008 independent film Blue Gap Boy'z as a singing contestant.

Miscellaneous[link]

• Jana Performed "A Change Is Gonna Come" at the American Indian Inaugural Ball January 20, 2009
• Jana performed for the First Lady Laura Bush during the First Lady's Luncheon (April 27, 2006). One of the songs she sang was her own "One Spirit." The theme of the function was "The First Americans."
• Jana performed before a huge audience (+70,000) at the 2001 National Scout jamboree.
• Jana performed at the 2001 Inaugural Ball.
• Jana chosen as Good Will Ambassador for The International Museum of Twenty-first Century Art (TIMOTCA)

References[link]

External links[link]

• JanaMashonee.com - Jana Mashonee's official website.
• Jana Mashonee on Myspace
• Jana Mashonee at ReverbNation
• Jana's Allmusic.com biography
• SingerUniverse Magazine March Best Vocalist Of The Month Winner Jana Mashonee