English - Cheyenne Student Dictionary

The English—Cheyenne Student Dictionary is designed for student use. It should have particular value for students who already know some Cheyenne. The dictionary will help students in their spelling of Cheyenne, and in their appreciation for the complex details of their intricate language. The dictionary will also have some use as a language teaching tool. Students who learn to pronounce the words written in the dictionary can increase their Cheyenne vocabularies. It is hoped that adults will also find the dictionary helpful, and linguists who desire accurate Cheyenne data will find much of it in this book.

We are really glad we still have our Cheyenne language. It has been used by our people for a long, long time. It is soft—spoken and good, with no harsh words. It is one of the good things that has held the Cheyennes together as a people. So today we say: “Hahoo Na9heo9o!” In view of the past, and with this dictionary, we hope our young people learn and appreciate their language. To be happily bilingual means using the best out of two cultures.

—John Woodenlegs
Northern Cheyenne Elder and former President of the Northern Cheyennes

163 pp — ©1976