The Pawnee Capture of the Sacred Arrows
Around 1830, the Cheyenne attacked a Skidi Pawnee hunting party in central Nebraska, carrying their most sacred possession—the Maahótse (Four Sacred Arrows) bundle. During the battle, the Pawnee captured the sacred arrows, described as the greatest disaster in Cheyenne history. The Cheyenne made replica arrows and desperately tried to recover the originals. They recovered one arrow directly from the Pawnee; the Lakota captured another and returned it for horses. The replicas were ceremonially returned to Bear Butte. This loss was believed to have been caused by the people's failure to properly