Medicine Lodge Treaty

Definition

The Medicine Lodge Treaty, signed in 1867, was an agreement between the United States government and several Native American tribes, primarily the Southern Plains tribes, including the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Comanche. This treaty aimed to establish peace and secure land for the tribes in exchange for their cessation of hostilities against settlers and military forces. It also marked a significant moment in the U.S. government's attempt to control and manage Native American populations through negotiated treaties.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Medicine Lodge Treaty was part of a broader U.S. strategy to contain Native American tribes on reservations while promoting westward expansion.
2. The treaty promised various provisions to the tribes, including supplies and protection from settlers, but many of these promises were not fulfilled by the government.
3. Significant resistance arose from some tribal leaders who rejected the treaty, viewing it as a means to limit their freedom and sovereignty.
4. The Medicine Lodge Treaty laid the groundwork for future conflicts between Native Americans and U.S. authorities as it failed to resolve underlying tensions related to land and resources.
5. This treaty is often seen as a critical moment in the shift towards more aggressive policies against Native Americans, leading to further treaties and eventual military conflicts.

Review Questions

• How did the Medicine Lodge Treaty reflect the U.S. government's approach to managing relations with Native American tribes during the 19th century?
  • The Medicine Lodge Treaty exemplified the U.S. government's strategy of negotiating treaties with Native American tribes as a means to control their movements and settle conflicts. By offering land in exchange for peace, the government aimed to limit tribal sovereignty while facilitating westward expansion. However, the unequal power dynamics present in these negotiations often led to resentment among tribal leaders and communities, illustrating the challenges inherent in these treaties.
• Discuss the long-term impacts of the Medicine Lodge Treaty on Native American tribes involved and how it shaped future relations with the U.S. government.
  • The Medicine Lodge Treaty had lasting impacts on the tribes involved, as it restricted their traditional lands and placed them on reservations while failing to deliver on many of its promises. This created distrust between Native Americans and the U.S. government, leading to increased tensions and subsequent conflicts. The treaty set a precedent for future agreements that often resulted in further loss of land and autonomy for Native tribes as assimilation policies began to take hold.
• Evaluate how the terms of the Medicine Lodge Treaty aligned or conflicted with existing cultural practices among the Southern Plains tribes.
  • The terms of the Medicine Lodge Treaty conflicted significantly with existing cultural practices among Southern Plains tribes, who traditionally valued mobility, hunting, and communal land use over fixed settlement on reservations. The treaty's requirement for tribes to abandon hostilities towards settlers was at odds with their rights to defend their ancestral lands. Moreover, the promise of supplies and protection did not account for the tribes' self-sufficient lifestyle and spiritual connection to their lands, resulting in cultural disruption that would reverberate through generations.

Related terms

Treaty of Fort Laramie: An earlier treaty signed in 1851 that established boundaries for various Native American tribes and aimed to ensure peace between them and U.S. settlers.

Reservation System: A policy implemented by the U.S. government that designated specific areas of land for Native American tribes, often reducing their traditional territories significantly.

Assimilation: A policy aimed at integrating Native Americans into American society by encouraging them to adopt Euro-American culture, language, and practices.