All visitors can now find the answer to GR's question at this page on the Cheyenne site: What is the origin of the word "Cheyenne"?
My name is L.P. and I live in Salt Lake City, Utah. I first started learning about the Cheyenne people last spring, when I saw a rerun of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. I happened to see the Washita episode; by the end of part one I was in tears. I started wondering if there really was a Chief Black Kettle and a massacre at Washita. I began reading and was excited to find that Chief Black Kettle existed but at the same time was very saddened to find that the massacre at Washita as well as many others had taken place.
I never had any interest in history and was not taught any of these things in my history classes during my school years. Any extra time I have had these past few months has been spent reading Native American History, the most important part of America's history. I am happy to say I am less ignorant now and am trying to teach my children as well.
I have enjoyed your web site a great deal and hope to learn many more things about the Cheyenne people; I'm very interested in learning the language as well.
Thank you!
I was reading through your web page and I think it is really great.
However, I could not find a pronunciation guide. I did find one for modern
Southern Cheyenne, but it is different. I was wondering if you could send me
of the correct pronunciation guide. Also, what is meant by a high-pitched
vowel? You can reach me at my dad's address: _____________.
Sincerely,
J.R.
J., nice to hear from you. Pronunciation of "Southern Cheyenne" and
"Northern Cheyenne" is identical. The differences you have spotted are only
in the letters people use to transcribe the words.
Thanks to your question, there is now a more complete pronuncation guide on
the main page (cheyenne.htm) of the Cheyenne language site. There is also
now a link to the Cheyenne alphabet and pronunciation guide, preceding the link to the "Modern Southern Cheyenne Pronunciation Guide". I appreciate your questions which showed me that I needed to include a little more detail about pronunciation. Please let me know if what I have written answers your questions well enough.
(A high pitched vowel) simply means that the sound is pronounced higher in pitch than the other sounds of the word. If you are musical, the difference in pitch is something like a musical third on a piano.
Best wishes,
I saw where you said if you knew of any other names to e-mail you, and
the other day I was reading a Lous L'Amour, "Down the Long Hills", and
found the name "Ashawakie" as the name of a Cheyenne warrior.
I am learning Cheyenne, but I could not tell if this was the same as a
name on the list allready, "Aseske"....or maybe I'm looking for the wrong
letters anyway....
I'm sorry but I don't know what the name means....I looked the whole
book over even though I remember stuff like that real well...
Anyway,
A.N.,
Cheyenne Student in Kansas
P.S.I just want to thank you for your wonderful course...I've been
working on tape 1 side A three months now, perfecting each word to the
best of my ability. It's starting to come so easy now...the hard part is
remembering!!!! THANKS!!! :)
A.N.,
You're very welcome. It means a lot to me to get feedback like this from
those who are using the language course.
Ashawakie doesn't look like it would be a Cheyenne name to me. It could be
that the spelling just isn't clear enough for me to catch it, though.
Aseske wouldn't be close enough.
Congratulations (on your Cheyenne language study successes). Could you let me know once in awhile how you are
progressing? I'd like to see a follow-up, more advanced tape course made,
to follow the introductory course you are using. But I don't know if I'll
have time to work on that in this lifetime!! There is some need felt for
it among Cheyennes, so maybe one of them can make a second course.
Best wishes with your Cheyenne studies.
Please feel free to call me by my first name, Wayne. I appreciate the
etiquette, but no matter what age you are, I just prefer to be called
Wayne. I do like it when our four children call me Dad, but that's about
the only other name I go by! :)
Wayne]
Thanks so much for your reply!!!
If you were to create a second course, you would sell at least one to
me!!!I would have another copy of the current one, but I am 15 years old
and I support a horse, 2 dogs and a cat with my own cash. So, I'm trying to
save a little. BUT...you make it,I'll get the money to buy it!!! :)
I can never tell you how much I love your web site,...there is no one
I know that speaks Cheyenne anywhere near here....I watch Doctor Quinn
and flip when I recognize a word!!! It's so wonderfull...to hear someone
else say it and know you did have it right and that is how it's
said,...it means a lot....
Keep up the good work!!!! :)
((((you do not have to put this on your site...that's not why I wrote
it... :) just wanted to make sure you didn't feel obligated...)
Nea-ese!!!
A.N.
Hello, my name is B.B. I live in Centerburg, Ohio. I'm 10
years old and in fifth grade. I am doing a report on your nation and I am
wondering if you have any suggestions where to go on the internet to find
out about traditional food and how it was prepared, what the traditional
dress was, were there any special customs especially customs that your
nation feels our current generation should adopt.
Thank You so much for taking time to read this.
B.B.
P.S. If you know any Native American who would want to be an e-mail pen
pal please give them my e-mail address.
After looking through all the Native American language pages I
could find I finally reached your marvellous page. As I'm doing a research
paper in liguistics I was pleased to find so much information about
grammar on your page. Of course the research papers on your page will also
come in handy :)
Thanks again for the wonderful page!
P
PS! I'm from Estonia BTW.
Wednesday, March 19, 1997 1:44 PM
A great page you have!
Just having a quick look during office hours
but I'll return with better time and read
everything. I have linked your page from mine
...
Best regards,
SL
a language freak from Finland
Tuesday, March 25, 1997 3:24 PM
I want to congratulate you on your new web site. My name is C.B.
and I am the ... Director for the Southern
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe of Oklahoma.
Our tribe has recently got on-line as you can tell and we are in the
process of developing our own official tribal web site. I must say that
in reading and printing information about your web site regarding our
languages is very much needed. I too unfortunately, do not speak my
native language and desperately want to learn. We have tried to have
language classes here at our tribal headquarters but we cannot seem to
obtain a committed instructor/teacher.
I will be ordering some of your materials and with your help (I hope)
perhaps you can give us some direction on how we can learn and retain
our language.
I just wanted to drop a short line and tell you Ah-ho. I need your
information for me to help my people remember who we are.
Please feel free to write back or my toll-free phone number is
....
I look forward to speaking with you!
Sincerely,
CB
Wednesday, March 26, 1997 11:34 PM
Hi Wayne,
....
I really liked
your Cheyenne site. It just amazes me that the Cheyenne language was also
on the internet. I showed people in my Indian Club and they thought it
was pretty awesome. (A, a Cheyenne college student)
Friday, April 04, 1997 6:38 PM
Great web site. I'm so glad to know that you people, and others, are
trying to keep these native American languages alive. When they are
lost, We all are affected. Good luck.
Nestaevahosevoomatse, I hope.
Wednesday, April 23, 1997 4:22 PM
Kovaahe,
Peve'voona, nea'esh, thanks for informing me. Hetohe language ordinance
emaxe'peva! Oooxest! Momoxeme'hetsesenstseves tsetsehestahese.
Naa hetsetseha those that can't speak cheyenne e'tose'tonsheveo?
Heva tsetamonehene'enanovo tsesenstsestotse.
Naa hetsetseha na'taoseto'heotsemane Albuquerque, NM. Hako!
Na'toseev'hetsetoo'om, etoseas'ho'sooeo nahaohe, Gathering of Nations
Powwow. Naa mato n'tone (?) (my daughter), esevone'meh'ne
etsesheveh, etamone'nah'heaname (3yrs) hetsetseh esheeva. N'tone,
esevone'meh'ne, heske nahaohe ehestahe N.M. Heske e'poovonenhe'ev (navajo),
ta'same exhestoheo? Nanstove tsehesh'het "e'tonsh'tseseox'hestoh navajo
women?" "naa poovonenhe" ehevoo. Nahaohe N.M. e'tose'celebrate her
birthday.
ne'vese'hene'enovoheo Charles & Vicki L.C.? Na'voomoo nahaohe Topeka, KS,
in 1995, e'vese'ho'soo'eo, Head Gourd Dancer. Nexhove nam'xestone nahaohe
Topeka. Nataa'enem'xestone!
Na'vooht nam'seme hevehestotse on your web site. Nahkoheo'emoxe'eha
exhestoh.
"E'maxe'menehe'anato!" ha!
Nehne'evahosemoxe'estooveo'o ho'otovo.
O'hkome'xaaxheta naneehove
Wednesday, April 30, 1997 9:49 AM
I enjoy your homepage. I wanted to let you know that our school, Watonga
High School, Watonga, Ok , is offering a "Cheyenne Language and Culture"
class on the fiber optics network. Through the network the class is
taught at four schools; Watonga, Calumet, Kingfisher and Geary schools.
The class originates out of Calumet. JT is the instructor. I
will make sure that every student is aware of your website. Some
students do not have access to the internet but hopefully in the future
all students will have access. Our school is out on May 19th so I hope
to hear from you before we leave for the summer.
(QRN)
Title IX Indian Education Program
Monday, September 29, 1997 6:54 PM
Hello-
L.P.
Thursday, October 09, 1997 4:56 PM
Dear Mr. Leman,
[My response:
Wayne]
Friday, October 10, 1997 3:47 PM
Mr. Leman,
[My response:
Monday, October 13, 1997 6:27 PM
Wayne,
[From Wayne, to any readers: Well, A.N.'s followup message is too good to omit! Isn't it nice that there are some young people in the world who care enough about things outside their own little world to work so hard at learning a Native American language!]
Wednesday, October 29, 1997 7:27 PM
Saturday, November 01, 1997 2:39 AM