Peace Treaties



Back in the 1800's the whites were always trying to take over Indian lands. The whites killed all of the Indians buffalo. The government tried to settle the differences they were having by offering peace treaties.

In 1867 the civil war was over. People moved west. Sheridan got control of forces in west. Promised to bring peace to the people by killing buffalo. Buffalo is sacred to Indian people. Indian people survived off buffalo. " Kill the buffalo and you kill the Indians", general said. Indians went on warpath. Fought for their way of life. Fought for lands. Back east people hoped to cease war with the Plains Indians. Railroad people laid track the whole way to the Pacific Ocean. Railroad was at a standstill. Fighting started. Andrew Johnson heard of trouble in the plains. He formed peace. Commission for peace with Indians wanted to move Native people so whites can settle lands.

They talked for a long time about where to meet to talk about peace. Native Americans picked the place known as Medicine Lodge. It's in Kansas. Waters of Elm Creek and Medicine River come together there. Kiowa visited there once in a year to take a bath in the healing waters of the river. Renewed medicine at sacred lodge. Were not any railroads. No white settlements nearby. Many miles to the closest army post. Native Americans were safe from surprise attacks that came from white men. More than 5,000 Native Americans from five different tribes went to the meeting. The Kiowa, Comanche, Kiowa-Apache, Cheyenne, and Arapaho all went. There was a lot of white men there also.

7th cavalry came to keep the white men from harm. Some Native Americans went because they heard there was free meals. While the meeting was happening white men and the Native Americans had many speeches. The commissioners heard Satanta's talk . But made no difference. The commissioners had already agreed what Indians were supposed to do. Needed to learn the white mans ways of living. Native Americans were going to live on special lands and be taught how to farm. Their kids were going to go to school and also learn the new language. The end had come to their freedom on their land. After three weeks of discussion it was time to divide up the land into reservations. A soldier stood on one side, and a civilian stood on the other.

The Indians who stood by the civilian would live in the north. The Indians who stood by the soldier would live in the south. The Kiowa's chose first. Chose to live north of the Red River. The Americans fully told to the Native Americans that by signing the treaty, both of the sides might feel the same way to certain, the Native Americans would be kept safe from white hunters. They would be supplied with schools, churches, and farming tools. They would get food and clothing every year. They would be taught to live like the white man.

They would be provided with farmers who would stay with them and show them everything they needed to know about farming. Now instead of one reservation separated into tribes, each tribe would relocate to their own reservation. The western part of what is now Oklahoma was home to all the reservations making up the Indian nations. As a result, the Indians would be forced to relinquish rights to their native lands.

The name of the treaty was the Medicine Lodge treaty. Three different treaties were signed. First signed October 21, 1867, with the Kiowa and Comanche tribes. Second treaty was signed on the same day, the Kiowa Apache tribe signed. Third was signed on October 28, 1867, the Cheyenne and Arapaho signed.

Medicine Lodge Treaty didn't end all fighting. It's known as most important treaty signed on southern plains.
Dylan Bowers 8th Grade American History Rossville Jr. High Plains History Project 2004	Bibliography