FT. LARAMIE – 150 years ago much of America was left as open land; unchartered and unnamed. The northern Great Plains were a place of curiosity, beauty, and danger. Grass grew tall, prairie could be seen for miles, and buffalo roamed freely—followed closely by the nomadic people who hunted them. As time wore on, teams began to pull covered wagons across trails that divided Earths dirt in half as men, women, and children spread out west to make new lives for themselves. Between the sun setting and the sun rising, the Oregon Trail was formed running across the plains, directly through what had been named as Indian Country. With hostilities rising between the settling white people’s and the nomadic Indian people’s, the trail was soon branded with cautionary tales and violent attacks. Erected in 1834, Fort Laramie was the second fort built along the Oregon Trail to aid in the safety of settlers. In years to come, it would be the site for many white and Indian negotiations, trades, and treaties: including the Treaty of 1868, that was first signed on April 29, 1868 and with final signatures on November 6, 1868. Following the failure of prior treaties and Red Cloud’s refusal to sign other peace treaties, the Treaty of 1868 came as an amity offering between the whites and the nomadic Indians and was designed to create the ‘Great Sioux Reserve’ that was to include the Bozeman Trail and the sacred Black Hills territory, among other land, in exchange for the cease of Indian attacks. The treaty lasted until 1874, when gold was discovered in the Black Hills. After two years of collaborative work between the Tribal Nations and the National Parks Service, on April 28, 2018, ancestors of the Tribal Nations involved in the original treaty signings will make their way on horseback and by runs to the Fort Laramie historic site where they will host opening ceremonies commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of 1868. 

“The Northern Cheyenne are one of the northern Great Plains tribes that lived a nomadic lifestyle following the buffalo and living in teepees. Our ancestral homelands included the entire Great Plains area” states Wallace BearChum, Northern Cheyenne Tribe Horseback Ride Coordinator, Cultural Commission Chairman, and Tribal Services Director. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe lives in southeastern Montana where they currently have 11,000 enrolled tribal members with roughly 5,000 living on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. On May 10, 1868, four Cheyenne Chiefs, Little Wolf, Dull Knife, Big Wolf, and Short Hair, signed the treaty for the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. 

“I planned this ride to start at Wright, Wyoming which is located near Pumpkin Buttes, an area that is sacred and significant to the Northern Cheyenne people and other native people.  I want our people to reconnect to these areas which were our ancestral homelands.  I want our people to see the energy development taking place and what is being done to our ancient homelands; to make them aware of this development.  I want our people to see Fort Fetterman and Fort Laramie, the Platte and Laramie rivers— all places very important in the history of our people” comments BearChum.  

To his knowledge, this is the first celebration of treaties as he states, “Most of the treaties have been not recognized and dishonored by the federal government, so most of the involved tribes have been trying to get the government to recognize and honor the treaties for years”. To commemorate this treaty and its anniversary, BearChum explains that, “We are bringing in several knowledgeable speakers to speak about the treaty to our group, to educate them about the treaty and how the treaty is currently affecting our tribe.  Also taking our tribal members to the actual location where the treaty was signed at Fort Laramie will be something special for them. Where our ancestors signed the treaty, our ancestral homelands”.   

The Northern Cheyenne and Northern Arapaho Tribes will begin their journey to Fort Laramie near Pumpkin Buttes in Wright. They are expecting 30-40 participants between horseback riders, runners, and drivers. Per their schedule, the tribes will meet in Wright the day before the ride is set to start and then will travel from Wright to Douglas on April 25, “The town of Wright, Wyoming has been very supportive, allowing us the use of their agricultural complex and multi-purpose building. They plan on bringing their students out to see us; also providing breakfast and supper.  The town of Douglas is allowing us to stay at the Wyoming State Fairgrounds” says BearChum. On April 26, the tribes will travel from Douglas to Lusk where they will be hosted at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds with a dinner planned for participants on the night of their arrival. The morning of April 27, a ceremony will be held at the fairgrounds that Niobrara County community members are encouraged to attend, “We are passing through on our way to Fort Laramie, and would like to meet with any interested towns people and students; we do have a speaker who will be speaking about the treaties”. Following the ceremony, the tribes will join with the Lakota Sioux riders from the Dakotas, whom per BearChum, have planned their own ride/run to include ‘hundreds of horses’ and make their way into Fort Laramie.

Upon arrival at Fort Laramie, the tribes will attend the opening programs in a commencing celebration that will extend to May 1 and is open to all. Per travelwyoming.com, “A Lakota encampment will provide seven teachings of the Seven Council Fires, as well as opportunities for attendees to learn the unique perspectives of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Crow, Dakota and Lakota nations throughout the day. Lakota youth from the St. Francis Indian School will present a detailed examination of what the treaty means to them. April 30 and May 1 will feature presentations, discussions and demonstrations related to the significance of the 1851 (Horse Creek) Treaty, the attempt at an 1866 Treaty and the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie. Other programs will include presentations focusing on historical significance, current relevance and impacts of the treaties on indigenous people and communities. Tribal sovereignty and the future of treaty rights will also be explored. Throughout the opening weekend, vendors for native foods and traditional art will be available”. The overall celebration will run until November 6, the date of the final signatures that secured the treaty, with various programs running throughout the summer at Fort Laramie.