ON CHEYENNE SOCIOPOLITICAL ORGANIZATION

In a recent (1974) article John H. Moore has challenged the validity of earlier ethnologies of the Cheyenne Indians, with respect to their presentation of Cheyenne sociopolitical organization. Moore advances a dialectic model, positing matrilineal, matrilocal uterine bands from which were drawn the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plains anthropologist 1980-05, Vol.25 (88), p.161-169
Main Author: Hoebel, E. Adamson
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ethnography
Ethnology
Killing
Peacetime
Political structures
Porcupines
Soldiers
Tribal chiefs
Tribal councils
War
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Summary:In a recent (1974) article John H. Moore has challenged the validity of earlier ethnologies of the Cheyenne Indians, with respect to their presentation of Cheyenne sociopolitical organization. Moore advances a dialectic model, positing matrilineal, matrilocal uterine bands from which were drawn the Peace Chiefs, who constituted a uterine tribal council. In frequent opposition, were the military societies, which Moore identifies as agnatic units of organization. Viewed historically, power shifted from the "uterine" bands and tribal council to the "agnatic" military societies. This article evaluates the validity of Moore's reading of the Cheyenne data and the heuristic value of the model he presents. It also presents new materials on the transformation of the Cheyenne Dog Soldier society into a virilocal, endogamous residential band.
ISSN:0032-0447
2052-546X