Washita Battlefield National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site

Oklahoma
Va’âhtama (wah-dom) or Welcome! The Cheyenne call me Mo’ehno’ha (mo-a-noha), but you can call me Mo. I am interested in becoming a Junior Ranger too! My 

great-great grandfather was a part of the herd that the Cheyenne kept along the 

Washita River. Stories were passed down to me and I want to learn more. 

So ride along with me, as we explore Washita Battlefield’s history and become 

Junior Rangers. 

My hoof prints at the top of each page will 

tell you the difficulty of each activity.

Easy

Medium

Hard

Age Number of 

Activities

5 & Under 3

6 - 9 5 (at least 1 

medium difficulty)

10 & Up 7 (at least 1 hard 

difficulty)

What if I run out of time?

Not to worry! You can finish your booklet at home, 

send it to us, and we’ll return it to you with your badge. 

Don’t forget to include your name and mailing address! 

Mail your booklet to us at:

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site

18555 Highway 47A, STE. A

Cheyenne, OK 73628
The Arrowhead Logo

The National Park Service has a logo that represents the important things that 

we care for and care about. You will see it at every National Park you visit. Below is the 

outline of the arrowhead, but it is incomplete. Find an arrowhead in the Visitor Center 

and complete the drawing.

Each item in the arrowhead is protected at all National Parks. Look at the design and fill 

in the blanks below. 

arrowhead sequoia bison mountain lake

1. The represents the plants.

2. The represents the wildlife.

3. The represents recreation and fun.

4. The represents the scenery and land.

5. The represents history and culture.
Ask a Ranger

Park Rangers do many different things in the 

National Park Service. Find a Park Ranger and 

see what you can discover.

Why did you become a 

Park Ranger?

What is your favorite thing 

about your job?

What is the coolest 

thing you have done as a 

Park Ranger?

How long have you

been a Park Ranger?

Ask your own question:

 
Can You Find Me?

These items are hidden throughout the Visitor Center. Can you find them all?

During the attack, Moving Behind ran and hid in the grass. Although she was discovered 

by a soldier, he left her alone. Years later Moving Behind met the soldier again and they 

hugged in friendship.

Draw something you saw here:
Raise Your Flag!

The U.S. Cavalry carried flags into battle. Tribes traditionally did not carry 

flags. They relied on clothing and art to tell the tribes apart. In modern times, tribes 

have been adopting tribal flags to celebrate their heritage and culture. These flags use 

American Indian symbols and images to represent different tribes. 

Look around the Visitor Center at the flags representing the people involved in the Battle 

of the Washita. Draw your tribe’s flag. What is important to you?
Cultural Connections

The Cheyenne, or Tsistsistas(te-sis-sis-tas) as they referred to themselves, 

and the U.S. Cavalry at Washita came from very different cultures, with different 

languages, religion, clothing, and customs. These differences sometimes caused problems 

because they did not understand each other. However, they did have some things 

that were similar. Sometimes, the difference between a Cheyenne’s possessions and a 

soldier’s possessions were the materials used to make them. 

In the columns below, match the Cheyenne object with the U.S. Army object by drawing 

a line to connect the items. 

Cheyenne

Moccasin

Chief

Black Soup

Dogmen Society

Buckskin

Tipi

Spear

Warrior

Pemmican

U.S. Army

Tent

Rations

Private

Saber

General

Regiment

Wool

Boot

Coffee

My version of 

pemmican is 

oats.
Hotóa’e (ho-do-ah)

The American Bison was essential to the Cheyenne way of life. Most parts of the 

animal were used in daily living. Draw a line from the pictures to the part of the 

Bison it came from.

HIDE

tipi covers, clothing, 

parfleches(saddlebags & 

containers)

HORNS

utensils

HIDE (with hair)

winter clothing, floor 

covering, blankets

TAIL

flyswatter, 

rattle

HAIR

paint brushes, 

ropes, shields

RIBS

sled

STOMACH

waterproof bag to 

cook in
7th Cavalry Connect the Dots

The 7th U.S. Cavalry depended on this animal below to take them across the 

plains and into battle. 

Can you connect the dots to discover this important animal?

After the Battle of the Washita, Lt. Col. Custer’s troops captured some of Black Kettle’s 

pony herd to replace the ones lost in the battle and to transport the women and children 

prisoners of war to Camp Supply.
What Is Your Name?

Giving a child a name is an important part of Cheyenne culture. A child can 

be named based on gender, totem, animals, or physical description. Sometimes, names 

can change based on events in a Cheyenne’s life. 

Can you figure out the names of the Cheyenne people listed below? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

antelope crow buffalo red cornstalk black old white bird woman eagle white kettle yellow woman

Bonus: What would you want 

your name to be? 
Supply Wagon Logic

Quartermaster John Bell only has enough items in his supply wagons to give 

each soldier one more needed item. See if you can figure out from the clues 

below what item each soldier would receive.

Louis

Hamilton

Francis

Gibson

Edward

Godfrey

William

Cooke

John

Wagoner

Clues:

1. Louis drinks more coffee than any other soldier.

2. Neither William nor John need a canteen.

3. Edward needs either coffee or ammunition.

4. John is the camp cook.

Do you think 

there are any 

extra oats for 

a horse like 

me?
Vee’e(Vee-e) Glyphs

Tipis often had symbols painted on them. These symbols represented different 

things in Cheyenne culture. Using the directions below, create your tipi design 

based on information about you.

Age:

Door Shape

5 & under 6 through 9 10 & older

Gender:

Boy:

Turtle

Girl:

Lizard

Position Among Kids:

Type of Stripe

(One Stripe Per Kid)

Youngest Oldest Neither

Animal Decoration Draw your favorite animal
Crossing the Washita

The river was a favorite place for the Southern Plains Indians to camp out 

during the winter months. It provided food to hunt and grass for the pony herd.

Can you follow the letters through the 

maze to discover the Cheyenne name 

for the Washita River? Write the letters 

on the lines below.

Start

H

O

O

X

E

E

O

H

E E

Finish

__ __ __ __ __’__-__’__ __’__
Cheyenne Interpreter

In the 1800’s U.S. soldiers and the Cheyenne spoke different languages. 

At the time of the Battle of the Washita, the U.S. Government hired interpreters to 

translate from one language to another. 

Hidden throughout the booklet are Cheyenne words. See if you can find all the words 

and help Mo figure out the secret words by unscrambling the circled letters.

_____’_-_’__’_

___________

__’____

__’____’__

___’_

_____’_

Q U I

R E

Hint on page 2

My favorite 

Cheyenne word is 

matsemenotse or 

OATS!
What Can You Do?

In American Indian culture, the sharing of a he’ohko (hey-oc-ko) is a sign of 

peace. Cheyenne leaders shared a Peace Pipe with Lt. Col. Custer shortly after 

the Battle of the Washita. Write your own poem of peace below.

Chief Black Kettle worked hard for peace for the Southern Cheyenne. Washita Battlefield 

National Historic Site works to build peace with the past while helping move us into the future, 

but it should not stop here. As a Junior Ranger, what can you do in your community and school 

to promote peace and acceptance? (Check at least 3)

Do something nice for someone else

Help plant a garden or recycle

Volunteer at a food pantry or other organization

Compliment someone

Make a new friend

Smile at 25 people

Do a household chore without being asked

Make and send a card to a friend, firefighter, or military 

member

Other:

I think peace means 

sharing oats with my 

friends and being able 

to roam over fields 

without fences.