The Legacy of Broken Treaties | The American Buffalo | A Film by Ken Burns | PBS

Summary

The video script delves into the history of U.S. government actions toward Indigenous peoples, focusing on broken treaties and the struggles faced by Native American tribes in the late 19th century. It highlights key figures like Quanah Parker and his journey from resistance to eventual surrender. The script discusses battles like Adobe Walls, the devastation of buffalo herds, and the ultimate forced relocation of Native peoples to reservations, portraying the conflict, loss, and resilience of the Comanche, Lakota, and other tribes during this tumultuous period.

Takeaways

• 😀 The U.S. government frequently broke treaties with Indigenous peoples when it became inconvenient for their interests.
• 😀 Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer's 1874 expedition into the Black Hills triggered conflict with the Lakota, as the area was sacred to them and reserved by treaty.
• 😀 Hide hunters continued to violate territorial boundaries, crossing into buffalo ranges to hunt, despite agreements to stay away.
• 😀 Indigenous peoples, including the Lakota, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Kiowa, and Comanche, retaliated against white encroachments by raiding white settlements and stagecoaches.
• 😀 Quanah Parker, a Comanche leader, became a key figure in resisting white settlers after his mother, Cynthia Ann Parker, was captured and returned to her original family.
• 😀 Despite many battles and setbacks, Quanah led his people in resistance, refusing to sign the Medicine Lodge Treaty, which pushed many tribes toward reservation life.
• 😀 A Comanche medicine man named Isatai claimed to have been given divine powers to protect the tribes, leading them to raid and confront buffalo hunters.
• 😀 The Battle of Adobe Walls in 1874 saw over 300 Comanche, Kiowa, and Cheyenne warriors engage in a standoff with buffalo hunters, eventually retreating after casualties.
• 😀 After the Adobe Walls battle, Native American raids across Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Kansas killed 190 white settlers, prompting military action by the U.S. government.
• 😀 The U.S. military used scorched-earth tactics, including the destruction of buffalo herds and the burning of villages, to force Native Americans onto reservations.
• 😀 Quanah Parker and his remaining followers were among the last to surrender, after receiving signs through animals, ultimately leading them to the reservation at Fort Sill.

Q & A

What was the U.S. government's pattern in dealing with treaties with Native American tribes?

The U.S. government made treaties with Native American tribes when it was convenient and beneficial, but once the treaties became inconvenient or when the government wanted something else, they would break the treaties.

How did the U.S. government violate the Lakota's treaty in 1874?

In 1874, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer led an expedition into the Black Hills, a sacred area reserved exclusively for the Lakota by treaty. A prospector brought along by Custer began searching for gold, violating the treaty.

What was the role of hide hunters in escalating tensions between Native Americans and settlers?

Hide hunters crossed the Arkansas River and entered the buffalo range, which was off-limits to whites by treaty. They set up outposts to continue hunting buffalo, a key part of the Native Americans' way of life, further angering Native tribes.

What was the perspective of the Native Americans regarding the destruction of the buffalo by settlers?

The Native Americans, like Little Robe, viewed the killing of buffalo as an attack on their way of life and survival. They were enraged by the settlers' actions, which not only killed the buffalo but also weakened their hold on their homeland.

How did Quanah Parker rise to prominence among the Comanche?

Quanah Parker, born to a prominent Comanche chief and a white woman, gained prominence through his leadership and fearless courage, especially in retaliation against the Texans who had kidnapped his mother and sister.

What was the significance of the Medicine Lodge Treaty, and how did the Quahada band of Comanches react to it?

The Medicine Lodge Treaty was an attempt to force Native Americans onto reservations. The Quahada band of Comanches refused to sign the treaty and resisted being relocated to reservations, engaging in skirmishes with soldiers sent to enforce it.

What was Isatai's role in the Comanche's resistance against settlers?

Isatai, a Comanche medicine man, claimed to have special powers granted through a vision. He inspired many to fight, assuring them that bullets would not harm them and they would defeat the white settlers.

What happened during the Battle of Adobe Walls in 1874?

During the Battle of Adobe Walls, more than 300 Comanche, Kiowa, and Cheyenne warriors attacked a trading post inhabited by buffalo hunters. The warriors were initially bold but eventually fell back after heavy resistance from the hunters, with Billy Dixon shooting and killing an Indian from over a mile away.

What was the outcome of the battle and raids following the attack on Adobe Walls?

After the Battle of Adobe Walls, the Comanche, Kiowa, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors launched more raids across Texas, Colorado, and parts of New Mexico and Kansas, killing 190 white people. This led President Grant to place reservations under military control and label any Native Americans who didn't return as 'hostile.'

What was the significance of the Palo Duro Canyon battle, and what was its impact on the Native Americans?

The Battle of Palo Duro Canyon was significant because the U.S. military destroyed the Native Americans' winter supplies, food, and horses, greatly weakening their ability to continue fighting. The scorched-earth strategy led to widespread starvation among the Native American bands.