The Tribe of Mic-O-Say is an honor society used by two local councils of Scouting America, the Pony Express Council at Camp Geiger Reservation, and the Heart of America Council at the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation. While both Geiger and Bartle's program share the same name, they are very different. One key difference is that H. Roe Bartle's program is recognized by the Wind River Reservation Northern Arapahos and Geiger is not. Similar programs exist or have existed in multiple other councils as well. The Tribe of Mic-O-Say is not a program of the National Council of the BSA. Both councils use both the Tribe of Mic-O-Say and the Order of the Arrow.

The Kansas City Chiefs NFL team adopted the Chiefs name to recognize the role Bartle played, while he was mayor, to bring the team to Kansas City. The Chiefs have been widely criticized for cultural appropriation of native tribes.

History

thumb|Tribe of Micosay

thumb|[[Harold Roe Bartle , Scout Executive of the St. Joseph Area Council]]

Micosay was founded in 1925 at Camp Brinton near Agency, Missouri under the guidance of Harold Roe Bartle, who was the Scout executive of the St. Joseph Council, now Pony Express Council. Bartle combined his experiences in Wyoming with the St. Joseph Council's existing honor organization called Manhawka.

Bartle was inspired to create the organization after serving as the Scout Executive for the Cheyenne Council of the Boy Scouts of America in Casper, Wyoming, from 1923 to 1925. Bartle became interested in the heritage and culture of the many Indian reservations in Wyoming. He spent many hours listening to stories about the Indian tribes and soon began to incorporate Indian values and ideals into his Scouting program. Bartle claimed he was inducted into a local tribe of Arapaho based on a reservation served by the Scout council, and according to traditional Micosay legend, was given the name Lone Bear by the Chief.

Bartle started as Scout Executive in St. Joseph, January 1925. The idea of Micosay was well formed from the moment he arrived. There already existed a camp society there called Manhawka, established by a previous executive. Bartle familiarized himself with the rudiments of it, and incorporated them into his central theme of an Indian-like society based on the principles of the Scout Oath. Bartle named the society "Micosay". A hyphenated version was used shortly after and remains popular, though the non-hyphenated version can still be used.

Camp Geiger, which succeeded Camp Brinton in 1935, is considered the mother Tribe of Micosay. Bartle was "The Chief", and conducted all the early ceremonies personally, placing a single eagle claw around the neck of each new member and bestowing their Tribal Name upon them. He built up the tribe during the next few years.

In late 1928, Bartle became the Scout executive of the Kansas City Area Council. Micosay had increased both Scouting and summer camp attendance, and he established another Micosay program at Camp Dan Sayre near Noel, Missouri, in 1929, the first summer there. Another honor program known as the 4Ms existed there at the time. In 1930 Camp Osceola opened near Osceola, Missouri, and was renamed the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation.

Organization

thumb|Tapping Ceremony of the Pony Express Council

Members of Mic-O-Say are divided into two ranks, "braves" and "warriors." Leaders of the organization are given titles such as "shaman, sachem, keeper of the wampum, sagamore and medicine man."

In the Heart of America Council, the Council of Chieftains, She-She-Be Council, and Tribal Council lead the tribe. Their official publications are the Customs and Traditions booklet, Cedar Smoke newsletter, and Inner Circle magazines.

In the Pony Express Council, the Council of Chieftains and the Tribal Council lead the tribe. Their official publications are the Redbook and most recently Make Talk Now which is an electronic video version of the former Make Talk magazine.

The Pony Express Council hosts nine child dance troupes who dress as Indians and perform mock Indian dances in various locations throughout Missouri. for people who want to "play Indian".

There are presently over 500 federally recognized American Indian tribes, each with their own customs and traditions. This diversity makes it next to impossible to get unanimous agreement from all tribes. Micosay has worked with American Indian advisors and throughout the years many American Indian youth and adults have joined Micosay. According to the Micosay Parent's Guide, the Arapaho tribe also presented their flag to camp Bartle as a symbol of their relationship with Micosay. Camp Geiger also requires scouts to gain a better appreciation for American Indian cultures by earning the Indian Lore merit badge (now known as Native American Cultures merit badge starting January 2026), learning how to do bead-work and to hand make various clothing and costume items in order to advance within the program. Micosay does not use any American Indian religious ceremonies; all Micosay ceremonies were developed specifically for the program.

See also

  • Boy Scouts of America sex abuse cases
  • Cultural Appropriation
  • Firecrafter
  • Scouting in Kansas
  • Scouting in Missouri
  • Tribe of Tahquitz

References

Further reading