Medicine Lodge Treaty signed on Medicine Lodge Creek, Kansas

Background. The Indian Peace Commission, established by Congress in July 1867, investigated conflicts on the Great Plains. Its final report concluded that wars were preventable had the government acted with honesty. The commission determined that legal failures and corruption contributed to warfare. Commissioners agreed that lasting peace required separating hostile from friendly Indians and removing tribes to reservations away from westward expansion routes.

Negotiations. The commission traveled from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Harker and arrived at Fort Larned in October 1867. Chiefs including Black Kettle, Little Raven, and Satanta were present. At the tribes' insistence, meetings moved to Medicine Lodge River, a traditional ceremonial site. Preliminary discussions began on October 15, addressing the impact of earlier military expeditions.

Treaty Terms. The treaties involved surrendering traditional tribal territories in exchange for smaller reservations in Indian Territory. The Kiowa and Comanche gave up over 60,000 square miles for a 3-million-acre reservation. The Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho territory was reduced to less than half of their 1865 treaty assignment, totaling 4,300,000 acres south of the Kansas state line.