There is no standard agreed upon list of Cheyenne names for the months. Instead, English names for months have been regularly used for at least the last 80 years. However, some knowledge does remain of months or periods of time close to months. It is very possible that there never was a list of exactly 12 month names. Some information seems to suggest that some of the original month names did not correspond exactly to month divisions found on calendars in use today. More common month (or "moon") names may have originally been names for some of the major seasons and weather changes. It has been said that, traditionally, there were only six Cheyenne names for divisions of the years. There is often interest, however, in trying to construct a list of twelve month names. Cheyenne speakers have suggested various alternatives for month names. Somtimes there is disagreement as to which month is referred to by a term.(These comments are excerpted and modified from the Cheyenne Topical Dictionary, page 194, copyright 1984, 1985.)
(Note: most month names end with the noun éše'he which is broad in meaning, referring to 'sun,' 'moon', 'month' (likely based on its 'moon' meaning), 'clock', and 'compass.')
Here is one list which is in used on a calendar which has been distributed annually for about 13 years. There has never been any official endorsement of this particular set of names, so Cheyennes should feel free to improve upon this list if improvement is possible at this date in history:
Hohtseeše'he, Hoop Moon, January
Ma'xęhohtseeše'he, Big Hoop Moon, February
Ponoma'a'ęhaseneeše'he, Drying Up Moon, March
Vehpotseeše'he, Leaf Moon, April
Matse'omeeše'he, Spring Moon, May
Enano'eeše'he, Planting Moon, June
Meaneeše'he, Summer Moon, July
Oeneneeše'he, Harvest Moon, August
Tonoeveeše'he, Fall Moon, September
Se'enehe, Facing Into, October (the name refers to when thin ice begins to form on ponds and rivers)
He'koneneeše'he, Hard Face Moon, November
Ma'xęhe'koneneeše'he, Big Hard Face Moon, December
Also see the same list of months, with different spelling and some slightly different translations at Eugene Little Coyote's The Cheyenne Moons webpage.
Some alternative names are:
He'koneneeše'he, Hard Face Moon, January (instead of November)
Tšęške'hohtseeše'he, Little Hoop Moon, February
Ponoma'a'ęhasenehe, Drying Up, March (or April)
Heše'kevenehe, Dusty Face, March (also, variant Heše'evenehe)
Heše'eveneheeše'he, Dusty Face Moon, March (or April)
E'omeeše'he, Fattening Up Moon, latter June and first part of July
Setovemeaneeše'he, Midsummer Moon, July
Hemotseeše'he, Breeding Moon, latter August and first part of September
Tonoeše'he, Cool Moon, September
Se'eneeše'he, Facing Into Moon, October
Se'ma'omeveeše'he, Starting To Freeze Moon, October
Setoveaeneeše'he, Midwinter Moon, December
