COVID<\/a>, my sister said \u201cLet\u2019s do things the old traditional way. How do they work? I think that would be nice.\u201d\r\n<\/p>\r\nSo, I explained what I know and have been told about traditional grieving among the Cheyenne, once governed by extremely specific practices. Though much has changed, some vestiges of these traditional ways still linger in contemporary times. \r\n
<\/p>\r\nUntil not too long ago, when a Cheyenne person died, the immediate family such as the surviving spouse and children would go into grieving stage, literally impoverishing themselves by giving away personal possessions of the deceased and themselves (which was not often that much) at the time of internment. It was common for Cheyenne women to cut off part of a finger, gash their legs and to chop off their hair, ever a source of personal pride to both the old-time Cheyenne men and women. (The practice of cutting hair is still observed today, though thank goodness we are no longer expected to sacrifice fingers). \r\n
<\/p>\r\nIn Plains sign language, the sign for Cheyenne for example is to make a sawing\/slashing motion across the fingers, i.e. \u201cCut Fingers\u201d. Sometimes it is also an indication of how the Cheyenne marked their arrows – with red slashes.\r\n
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