Indianz.Com > News > Native Sun News Today: Cheyenne people mourn loss of Peace Chief Lawrence Homer Hart
Cheyenne Peace Chief travels on
Tuesday, March 22, 2022
Native Sun News Today Correspondent
The Cheyenne people, both Northern in Montana and Southern in Oklahoma, mourned the passing of a prominent and one of the last old-time “Peace” Chiefs, Lawrence Homer Hart, “Sky Chief” of Oklahoma. His like may not be soon seen again.
Traditionally, the Cheyenne Tribe had a high degree of social and governmental organization as directed by Sweet Medicine, a prophet who brought order and laws, social structure, and ceremony to the Tribe hundreds of years ago. Traditional Cheyenne still abide by these teachings.
There were ten bands of the Cheyenne, extended family groups, within the Tribe. Due to the limited resources of game, grass, and water it was not practicable for the entire Tribe to travel around and camp together, thus these bands were usually in separate geographic locations, gathering only periodically for occasions such as ceremony (Sun Dance, for example); treaty making and so forth.
Thus, some decline, not wanting to take that burden. As the Cheyenne say, “only a successful man can be a Chief. All Chiefs die poor (from helping their people) but pass rich in love and regard. “Sky Chief” answered the call. And thus, in his passing is held extremely high. He was born at home on the banks of the Quartermaster Creek, north of Hammond, Oklahoma to Jennie Howling Water and Homer Hart in 1933, delivered by his Grandmother Corn Stalk, Anna Reynolds, mid-wife. His grandfather John Peak Heart was a Sundance priest, Native American church leader and Cheyenne chief. Lawrence was raised by his grandparents, speaking only Cheyenne the first few years of his life. When starting school, English was difficult for him, thus held back in the first grade. Later, he attended Hammon high school, playing basketball, running track, and worked on the school newspaper, graduating in 1952.
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Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com
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