CHEYENNE-ARAPAHO TRIBES
1895 Maps of Indian Nations

The earliest known evidence dates from 1600 and places the Arapaho east of the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Minnesota and the Cheyenne in southwestern and northern Minnesota.  The two tribes have long been associated, having wandered in the same direction and fought jointly for defense; yet, they were tribally separate and politically independent.  With the westward push of settlers, the Cheyenne and Arapaho moved west and adopted a life style that evolved into the culture of the Plains Indians.  Their wandering led them to North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado.  In about 1835, portions separated from the main body became known as the Southern Cheyenne and Southern Arapaho.  In 1869, the Cheyenne and Arapaho were assigned a reservation in Oklahoma, and the Darlington Agency was established in 1870 to serve them.