Cheyenne Indians, an important Plains tribe, speaking a language belonging to the Algonkian family. Their name is derived from the Sioux Indian word that means "people of alien speech."
In 1804 the explorers Lewis and Clark met the Cheyenne tribe near the Black Hills of South Dakota, but there is evidence that before 1700 the Cheyenne had lived a more settled existence in Minnesota. By the mid-1800's the Cheyenne had become fully adapted to a nomadic way of life based on the hunting of big game, primarily bison and antelope. Fish, small game, and wild vegetable foods supplemented their di…
