This is a complicated and potentially confusing composition, related to Plate 68 in which the same type of rattle is in use.. Apparently it represents a social dance of one of the warrior societies, as we recognize from the two women at far left, who are shown dancing while wearing the eagle feather headdresses belonging to two of the society members. Among the Southern Cheyennes, only three of the men's societies had such "soldier girls" as auxilliary members: the Elks; the Red Shields or Bull Society; and the Kit Foxes. In the north, the Crazy Dog Society had them as well (Stands in Timber & Liberty, 1967: 68, n. 12).

This cannot be an Elk Society meeting, for that group had rattles made of wood carved to resemble snakes, and hung with dewclaws (Grinnell, 1923, II: 59). The Red Shield Society did not employ hand-held rattles, but instead had dewclaws laced to fringes on their moccasins (Grinnell, 1908a: 274); also, the Red Shields were largely defunct by 1874, surviving members being mostly old men. Since this is a Southern Cheyenne drawing, these rattles must, therefore, be those of the Kit Fox (or Swift Fox) Society.

The Kit Foxes had a single, ceremonial rattle made of a large gourd, with a stick handle, the whole painted red; but the members carried individual rattles also, although Grinnell does not say what they were like (1923, II: 56). In 1913 the ethnologist Truman Michelson was told by Southern Cheyenne informants that Kit Fox Society members used "rattle boxes" (cited in Petersen, 1964a: Table 6). Although this is far from clear, the problem is merely one of inept translation. If the interpreter had said "rattle cans", we should all have grasped the concept immediately.

Arrow's drawing is the only surviving evidence known to this author which documents the Kit Fox rattles of the 19th century. What it shows are simply baking powder cans (supplied in quantity, along with flour, as part of the Cheyennes' annual treaty payments, after 1851). The pop-in lids on such cans made them ideal for the purpose of rattles. First a hole was made in the center of the lid, and another in the bottom of the can. Several pieces of gravel, or perhaps kernels of corn were placed inside, the lid wedged into position, and the can inverted; then a narrow, tapering stick, which had been carved and properly fitted beforehand, was threaded through the two holes, and jammed tight.

Prior to ca. 1860 some other form of rattle must have been fashioned by Kit Fox members, very likely smaller gourd rattles akin to the single, large specimen retained as the ancient emblem of the society. Arrow's drawing shows that the handles were then either painted red, like the gourd rattle; or possibly were covered with closely-sewn red cloth, the ends being left long, and allowed to hang as pendants. The top of the wood handle was ornamented with a single golden eagle feather, and a cluster of smaller feathers. Apparently, individual preference was allowed in choosing these smaller feathers, for white, black and blue clusters are shown. Such tin can rattles were employed among the Cheyennes' Oglala allies in the same period---compare Bad Heart Bull, 1967: Plates 29 & 30.

"It was the custom for each military society to gather now and then...to put on a dance that would be enjoyed by everyone in the tribe. At these dances the members would show off and describe their brave deeds...a young man would have his eye on his girl, trying to impress her..." (Stands In Timber & Liberty, 1967: 65).

The Fox Society had "300 dance songs", and their celebrations sometimes went on for four days (Dorsey, 1905, I: 19-20). The society would meet in front of the lodge of one member, where they would dance four times. The society's herald then would call out the name of some prominent man who was NOT a Kit Fox, and the whole group would run single-file across the camp to perform the next dance in front of that family's lodge. In response to this honor, and the entertainment provided "right at his door", the lodge owner would present some expensive gift to the herald---the man shown here brandishing a serrated quirt painted yellow, with red and blue stripes. The herald then would call out another name, and the group would proceed to that location to repeat the performance.

The officers of other warrior societies were special targets of such performances, and the contributions which were thus extorted were part of the rivalry and continual joking that occurred between societies. The honoree would be invited into the center of a circle formed by the Kit Fox members, with their wives or girl friends forming a second circle behind them. Arrow shows a section of this double line, and we are meant to understand that it curves around to the left, enclosing the two "soldier girls" who are dancing within the embrace of this circle.

"Four men carried drums, and these would sing a special song for some warrior who had done a brave thing. He would come out in the middle then and dance alone, showing what he had done---perhaps taking out a knife he had used...and acting out what had happened" (Stands In Timber & Liberty, 1967: 65-66).

That appears to be what Arrow is doing here, for he certainly is the man at the center of attention, brandishing not a knife, but the "yellow boy" Winchester he carried in Plate 74, wearing the same leggings seen in Plates 34, 66, 88, 126 & 140; and the same breechcloth as in Plates 86, 102, 120 & 130. The society rattle, of course, is not his, but apparently has been loaned to him briefly by one of the Foxes, possibly the herald, with the sense of making him an honorary member while he relates his accomplishment. When he finished, the Foxes would dance to honor his valor---as their two "soldier girls" already are doing. Properly gratified, Arrow then would make a gift in return, probably the double courting blanket with blue silk binding draped over his right arm, since it never appears again in the ledger.

It is noteworthy that Arrow seems to have been prepared for this visit of the Foxes. Probably it was standard courtesy to notify the honorees in advance, so that they could be found at home, and also be ready with an impressive gift.

The Nut uhk'ea, or "soldier girls" (Grinnell, 1923, II: 50) belonging to the warrior societies were highly thought of, and were provided by the members with all manner of fancy clothing. Cheyenne women were not supposed to touch eagle feathers, lest the spotted markings make the woman's skin also spotted. So as a special honor the Nut uhk'ea were crowned with haddresses of the bravest warriors, and danced to show the pride of their society.

Hubert E. Collins, who lived among the Southern Cheyennes in 1882-83, remembered of the women:

"Their legs below the dress skirt showed, usually in tanned leather leggings and moccasins combined into a boot, all fringed and made gay with their own beadwork, green predominating in the design" (Collins, 1928: 56-57).

For a color photo of such Cheyenne women's beaded footwear, see Cowdrey, 1999: Fig. 41).

When Charles and William Bent began trading with the Cheyennes about 1826, Mexican blankets were one of the priority items demanded by their customers. The Cheyennes were willing to pay high prices, so the Bents negotiated with the Mexican provincial Governor at Santa Fe, obtained a trading license, and annually thereafter sent a caravan far south, a round-trip of more than 500 miles over rugged mountains, to fill Cheyenne requests. As a boy in about 1850, George Bent recalled seeing the wagons come into his father's fort from Santa Fe and Taos:

"...with their loads of bright-colored blankets. The Indians prized these blankets with their stripes of bright coloring very highly, and a good blanket was traded at the fort for ten buffalo robes" (Hyde, 1968: 69).

Many such textiles are shown in this ledger, and appear in historic photographs of the period (see Cowdrey, 1999: Figs. 7, 30, 39, 43, & 54). Note that primarily these striped blankets were worn by women---the hard workers who willingly tanned ten buffalo robes for the exchange. In every age, and in every society, fashion is an expensive enterprise.

Chinese vermillion, together with yellow, green and blue tempera, were also staples provided by the Bents and other traders who succeeded them (Grinnell, 1923, I: 87). In this drawing, and others throughout the collection, Arrow provides a broad sample of the ways that Cheyenne people expressed their sense of style and beauty through judicious application of these trade paints. See Cowdrey, 1999: Appendix, Plates B, C & D, for a compendium of the face-paint designs shown by Arrow.

One of the interesting aspects of this drawing is that it is so complicated, and the composition is so crowded with forty-five closely-packed figures, that the artist confused even himself. Arrow began at the far left, with the figures of the two "soldier girls"; then apparently added the tipi; and the two rows of Kit Fox members with their companions. By the time he had drawn in the Kit Fox officer at center, with the dark blue (black) trade cloth blanket over his left shoulder, and the herald holding up his serrated quirt, there was hardly any room left in which to depict himself---in his starring role---or the friend who is just behind him, wedged among the blankets of the onlookers. This man is probably one of Arrow's Nisson relatives, for he wears the same pair of stylish leggings, accented with a vertical stripe of yellow silk ribbon, which Arrow himself wears in Plates 130 & 140.

Arrow wears his other pair of "dress slacks", with the black and white beaded strips. By the time he added these figures of himself and his friend, the composition was so jammed that there was only enough room to show three of their legs. When Arrow began to color these in, he trapped himself.

Beginning with the friend's yellow-stripe leggings, Arrow forgot that only one of that figure's legs could be seen, and inadvertently colored TWO. What appears to be the friend's "left" leg, however, must actually be Arrow's own right leg, as the artist then indicated by correctly showing the beaded moccasins on his own feet. At that point he had no option, except to show himself wearing a mis-matched pair of pants---a small costume glitch for the star !

During an evening's entertainment such as is depicted here, one of the favorite pastimes sure to be called for by the revelers was the "Kissing Dance":

Another figure creates great merriment...The leading woman selects a partner...After dancing around together they separate, and each selects another of the opposite sex, and so on until the floor is filled. At a signal all go to their proper partners, that is, the leading woman goes back to the man she first selected, the two selected by him and her go together, those chosen by these go together, and so to the end. Then all seat themselves on the ground, couples facing each other, when the man deliberately kisses the woman, the more modest couples drawing a shawl over their heads during the act.

"The fun of the dance is that, while the leader can select the man she wishes to kiss, she and he can select those LEAST likely to wish to kiss each other: she, taking up a young, love-sick boy, and he a woman old enough to be his grandmother, or vice versa. No end of fun is created by the complications that a few bright and mischievous couples can make" (Dodge, 1882: 375).