2. Introduction
Historymore oftenthannot iswrittenbythe victors.Everyvictoryin AmericanHistoryfrom
AmericanRevolutiontonowisusuallydocumentedbythe people whowonthe battle orwar.
Unfortunately,there are sometimesinhistorywhenawarof battle cannotbe wonand diplomacymust
stepinand workto finda resolution.It’sthe oldstoryof whenanunstoppable force meetsan
immovable object.The unstoppable force isthe AmericanGovernmentandthe immovableobjectisthe
indigenouspeople of NorthAmerica.TreatiesandLawswithNative Americanswere putintoplace
because the AmericanGovernmentwasnotwinningthe warontheirown(butstolen) landsthat the
Native Americanpeople livedonforcenturies.Wheneverawar couldnot be wonin Europe,treaties
were whatEuropeanswoulduse tostopwar. So the Americangovernmenttookfromthatexample and
createdtreatiesforthe Native Americansand Lawstopolice themsoAmericanIndianswouldnottryto
go to war again.These treatieshada lotof loopholesandtheywordingwasverycrypticanddidn’t
explainwhatNative Americanswhere givingup.
The HiddenMessage in the Treaty
Let’sstart withthe Treaty of Medicine Lodge (1867). The treaty wasdesigntorelocate Native
AmericanstoIndianTerritory(Oklahoma)andhelpEuropean-Americansettlerswithmovingwestand
settlingdown (1).The tribesthoughtthiswouldbringpeace andprosperitybetweenthe Native
AmericanandAmericanGovernment,butitdidnot.Thisideaof the treatywas to move tribeslike the
Kiowa, Cheyenne,Arapaho,andComanche tothe westernpartof Oklahoma tolive there andanyone
not onthat “reservation”wouldbe inviolationof the treaty.Thiswouldjustifythe USgovernmentto
use whatevermeansnecessarytoforce themona reservation (1).Thisalsohelpedlateronwithtrying
to “civilize the tribes”bytakingthe childrenandputtingthemintoBoardingschool (2). Thisispart what
the peace treatystates:
Whereas,on the twenty-firstday of October,eighteen hundred and sixty-seven,a treaty of peace
wasmadeand entered into at the CouncilCamp,on Medicine LodgeCreek,seventy miles south of Fort
Larned,in the Stateof Kansas,by and between theUnited Statesof America,by its commissioners
NathanielG. Taylor,William S. Harney,C.C. Augur,Alfred H.Terry, John B. Sanborn,SamuelF.Tappan,
and J. B. Henderson,of theonepart,and the Kiowa and Comanchetribesof Indians,of theUpper
Arkansas,by and through theirchiefsand headmen whosenamesaresubscribed thereto,of theother
part,reference being had to said treaty;and whereas,since themaking and signing of said treaty,ata
council held atsaid camp on this day,the chiefsand headmen of theApachenation or tribe of Indians
expressto the commissionerson the partof the United States,asaforesaid,a wish to be confederated
with thesaid Kiowa and Comanchetribes,and to be placed,in every respect,upon an equalfooting with
said tribes; and whereas,ata council held at thesame place and on the sameday,with the chiefsand
headmen of thesaid Kiowa and ComancheTribes,they consentto the confederation of thesaid Apache
3. tribe, asdesired by it, upon the termsand conditionshereinafterset forth in this supplementary
treaty.”(3)
Thistreaty like mosttreatiesworkedtowardhelpingthe AmericanGovernmentindealingwith
the “Indianproblem.”Landandpersonal possessionswere thingsthatNative Americans didnotthink
about.For Native Americans,if youhadafamilyandyou didwhatyouhad to do for yourfamily,then
you’re good.Europeanswantedthe landthatNative Americanshadbecause there wasanabundance of
it.Breakingthe treatyalsogave the U. S. soldierjustificationforkillingthe “savages” (4). Muchof the
time tribesfeltstifledbythe treaties.Huntingareawaslimited.Nomadictribeshadtoforgothat
culture.Tribeswhofollowedthe cultof the warriorhadto findnew waysto seekhonoror receive
accolades.Floral language wasusedintreatiestoentice tribessuchas;“Aslongas the grass growsand
the riversrun…etc.” Native AmericanIndianstookthismeaningliterallyanddidnotrealize itwasmore
of a salestactic.
The Europeanjustificationfortakinglandandtryingtorid the landof Native AmericanIndians
was the belief thatthe Creatorwantedthisforthe “white”people.TheirtermwasManifestDestiny (4)
(5). Thiswas a belief thatthe Europeansettlerwasputhere inthe Americastomake itbetterthrough
Divine Intervention (5).Itwouldbe anew worldcloserto God and to alsoshow how great Americacan
be as opposedtothe OldWorld (5).
Treatieswere neededforwestwardexpansion.Originally,the Plainswere to be the Indian
barrier(4).Once CaliforniawasacquiredandBritainwaswillingtosell Oregonandgoldwasfound;a
route was neededtotravel acrossthe countyto the west.Twocoastlineswere betterthatone for
commerce.Since treatiespromisedthese Indianterritoriestothe tribesthe U.S. Governmenthadto
readjusttreatiesoruse forcedremoval astheydidwiththe Five CivilizedTribestoOklahoma,orliterally
justbreakthe treaty.
The All Knowing Conclusion
If you ask Native AmericanIndiansof thismodernerawhatdotheywant? Theywill tell you,
that theywantthe U.S. Governmenttohonortheirtreatieswiththem.Nearlyeverytreatyaskedfor
educationforthe Native youth. Thatwas notto be determinedbystealingthe Native childrenand
forcibly sendingthemtoboardingschool (2). It meantschoolsonIndianlandsandcollege assistance.
Healthcare wasalso writteninthe treaties. Thisdidnotmeansmall pox blanketsorforcedsterilization
on bothmalesandfemaleswithouttheirpermissionorknowledge. AsIndigenouspeople we watchour
governmenthonortreatieswithGermanyandJapanafterWWII and yettheycannothonor the treaties
withthe original inhabitantsof the Americas.
Native peopletodaytryto live ina practical world.People have come upandaskme if I still live
ina teepee, andmyresponse tothemisonlywhenI’mcamping.A lotof people thinkNativesare alost
groupof people.We are not.We justlive,workandprovide forourfamilies.We donot live inteepees
or grow outour hair or wearleggings.We are wantedthe governmenttosee usaspeople,buttheydid
not.
