Geronimo DVD Monday

Geronimo’s surrender ended 25 years of war

Promised 2 years of imprisonment Taken to Fort Bowie

along with those who helped Army find Geronimo

General Miles over ruled terms of surrender

2 years stretched to 27

First taken to Florida As far as possible

All children over 12 taken to Carlisle Indian school in Pennsylvania

Tom Torlino - Navajo

Next stop of imprisonmentMobile AlabamaThen moved to Fort Sill Oklahoma

1896 From several thousand at contact 388 in1896

In 1913 Chiricachua releasedForced of land in OklahomaA few remained as individual farmersOthers to the Mescalero Reservation

Sand Creek

John Chivington Methodist Minister and Indian Killer

After the civil war for a brief time the idea of a continued extermination policy was pushed

But, memory of all the death and destruction of Civil War led to pressure for a change

Senator Doolittle Chair of Committee on Indian

Affairs Led an investigation into native

people

Doolittle Commission and the Peace Policy

Report on the Condition of Indian Tribes Doolittle report pointed out that Native

Americans Faced major problems because of Civil War

and following white invasion Native populations were declining due to Disease Warfare Lack of food

Urged Government to end White encroachment onto Indian Land President Johnson meanwhile had been

placing religious people into positions as Indian Agents

Hoping to break the corruption that existed in the

President also created a Peace commission to tour the west to identify and solve problems

After tour the commission urged the government to stop making treaties with all native Nations

1871 congressed passed and act to end treaty making

Native Americans would no longer “be acknowledged or recognized as an

independent nation, tribe, or power with who the United States may contract by treaty”

A unilateral decision Native Americans never intentionally

surrendered sovereignty

Attack on sovereignty mirrored continued attack on Indian territory

1870sGovernment carved out several

new Indian agencies from lands owned by Cherokees Choctaws Chickasaws etc.

Most pushed out of Kansas“a set of miserable, dirty, lousy,

blanketed, thieving, lying, sneaking, murdering, graceless, faithless, gut-eating skunks ”

Kansas newspaper editorFew who remained were

attacked, murdered or burned out

Together on the Quapaw Agency

Example of confused and camped conditions Near Tahlequah, Cherokee capital, government settled

Wyndaots Quapaws Senecas Shawnees Pawnees

Peories Miamies Ottawas Modoc

Nations used the era of reconstruction to begin healing some of the schisms

All under the watchful eye of the federal agents

At the same time more pressure was being brought to limit even the limited control Native Americans had in Indian Territory

1870 Senator Benjamin F. Rice Arkansas

Offered a bill to organize Territory of Oklahoma Native Nations in Indian Territory Gathered together at an

intertribal council in Okmulgee Put together constitution for a

native state Congress refused

Recognized some native sovereignty

By 1907 state of Oklahoma formed

Tribes of the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Northwest

Watching and learningNatives in Indian territory had

many years of experience with the government Knew they took whatever they

couldThose further west still powerful

and ready to defend their land

The first and most deadly invasion Possibly half plains population died 1779-91 in

small pox epidemic Stuck again in 1801-2, 1816, 1819

June 1837 American Steamboat docked at a Mandan Village on upper Missouri River Within weeks people began to die

“I keep no A/C of the dead, as they die so fast it is impossible”

Francis Chadran trader 1738 approx 15,000 October 1837 138

Resistance on the southern plains

October 1865 Meeting between American Government

and nations of southern plains

Central Indian Superintendent of Indian Affairs Thomas Murphy

General William S Harney

Black Kettle, Little Raven, Poor Bear and others represented the Kiowa-Apache

Band leadership not tribalNative Americans act in good faithAs do whites

Give up land Arrange for 2 reservations

Doesn’t get ratified by governmentPressure from white settlersBands not at treaty, and some who

were, begin to fight backTo defend their territoryTwo agents appeal for peaceSome natives agree some don’t

1867 Winfield Scott Hancock

Determined to end troubles

Told agents going to take military campaign onto plains

To awe submissionWanted to parley but

will fight

Heads into western KansasMet a few Oglala and Sioux near fort

LarnardClose by Cheyenne and Arapaho

village approx. 250 tipi

Cheyenne and Arapaho were in middle of sacred right

renewing medicine arrowsHancock thought they were stalling

Hancock ordered men to march on camp

Knowledge of Sand Creek led some warriors to retaliate for march, attacked whites

Hancock used attacks as an excuse and destroyed the village

Offered an ultimatumWar or peace

Kiowa, Comanche, Arapaho, Cheyenne and Kiowa-Apache rose up in war against blue coats

Closed all trails westKansas-Nebraska railroad could not

survey A number of Lakota joined Hancock sent Custer to punish the

LakotaHe couldn’t find them

War continued throughout 1867 By October steps were made towards peaceWhites too numerous and could not be stoppedBuffalo soon be gone

Only future far Native Americans was “civilization”

After many days of discussion Native Americans agreed to peace

secured hunting rights relocate to two large reservations

But conflict and small incidents continued

American government failed to live up to their part

Food and supplies not delivered1872 reservation shrunk by government

September 17 1868General Sheridan ordered Major Forsyth

to punish “troublesome” CheyenneRan into a force of Cheyenne Dog

Soldier Indians trapped Soldier on Beechers

Island for eight days, killed six and wounded five

Eventually saved by the arrival of 10th cavalry – Buffalo Soldiers

Beecher Island not of great importance itself but

Signaled intent of army to pursue Native Americans throughout the plains

November 27, 1868Custer caught Black Kettle and a

village of Cheyenne off guard near Washita village in western Indian territory

Custer attacked quickly Killed 102 Cheyenne 800 Cheyenne horses Burned 51 tipi’s took 53 women and children captive This will happen to you if you don’t behave

US Army Battle of Washita Native Americans Washita Massacre

War continued throughout 1867 By October steps were made towards peaceWhites too numerous and could not be stoppedBuffalo soon be gone

Only future for Native Americans was “civilization”

After many days of discussion Native Americans agreed to peace

secured hunting rights relocate to two large reservations

But conflict and small incidents continued

American government failed to live up to their part

Food and supplies not delivered1872 reservation shrunk by government

September 17 1868General Sheridan ordered Major Forsyth

to punish “troublesome” CheyenneRan into a force of Cheyenne Dog

Soldier Indians trapped Soldier on Beechers

Island for eight days, killed six and wounded five

Eventually saved by the arrival of 10th cavalry – Buffalo Soldiers

Beecher Island not of great importance itself but

Signaled intent of army to pursue Native Americans throughout the plains

November 27, 1868Custer caught Black Kettle and a

village of Cheyenne off guard near Washita village in western Indian territory

Custer attacked quickly Killed 102 Cheyenne 800 Cheyenne horses Burned 51 tipi’s took 53 women and children captive This will happen to you if you don’t behave

US Army Battle of Washita Native Americans Washita Massacre

End December many nations had ended hostilities

Some Cheyenne west of the Wichita mountains continued to live traditional lifestyle

Quahada band of Commanch led by Quannah Parker

Remained free and fighting

As more Cheyenne ended hostilities “Dog Soldiers” moved north to join Lakota “A man could not even court a girl unless he had

proved his courage. That was one reason so many were anxious to win good war records.... They were all afraid of what people, and especially the women, would say if they were cowardly. The women even had a song they would sing about a man whose courage had failed him: "If you are afraid when you charge, turn back. The Desert Women will eat you." ...It was hard to go into a fight, and they were often afraid, but it was worse to turn back and face the women.”

John Stands in Timber

Kiowa group Under leader’s Satanta, Big Tree, Satank

Attacked a wagon train and killed several whites

Arrested and sent to Texas for trial Satank was killed resisting arrest Satanta, Big Tree sentenced to hang Governor commuted to life

Federal government agreed to release them if the Kiowa and Comanche return to and remain on reservation

Return to Reservation spurred the last gasp of resistance

Over the next couple of months cavalry and mounted natives battled Red River Wars

Aug – December 1874 major pressure

Finally Quanah Parker would be persuaded to be stop fighting and the Red River Wars were over

Northern Plains