Native American Heritage Month
On November 22, 1868, Colonel William B. Hazen, stationed at Fort Cobb in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), reported a significant meeting with leaders of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. This encounter occurred during a tumultuous period marked by escalating tensions and conflicts between Native American tribes and the United States government.
In mid-November 1868, prominent chiefs, including Black Kettle and Little Robe of the Cheyenne, along with Big Mouth and Spotted Wolf of the Arapaho, approached Fort Cobb seeking peace. They expressed a desire to relocate their people south of the Arkansas River to avoid hostilities and to live peacefully near the fort. Black Kettle articulated his commitment to peace, stating his efforts to restrain his young men from engaging in conflicts north of the Arkansas.
He emphasized that his camp, consisting of about 180 lodges on the Washita River, was not involved in the ongoing hostilities.
Despite their earnest appeals, Hazen informed the chiefs that he lacked the authority to negotiate peace terms, as General Philip Sheridan had declared the Cheyenne and Arapaho hostile. Hazen advised them to return to their territory, warning that any military actions against them would be under Sheridan's command, not his.
This refusal to negotiate left the tribes in a precarious position, unable to secure the peace they sought.
Tragically, just days later, on November 27, 1868, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer led the 7th Cavalry in a surprise attack on Black Kettle's encampment along the Washita River.
Known as the Battle of the Washita River, this assault resulted in the deaths of Black Kettle, his wife, and numerous members of the Cheyenne tribe. The attack has been widely criticized for its brutality and is often cited as a stark example of the injustices faced by Native American communities during westward expansion.
The events surrounding the November 22 meeting and the subsequent massacre underscore the complexities and tragedies of U.S.-Native American relations in the 19th century. They highlight the challenges Native leaders faced in their efforts to secure peace and the devastating consequences of miscommunication and mistrust between Indigenous communities and the U.S. government.