There were probably fellow Kiowas that told Santanta that, but what could he do? The Americans were an irresistible force, and since they couldn't be stopped militarily, only through negotiations could some sort of independence be saved for the tribe. He did what he had to do. It's too bad that before he came to this conclusion, he and his buddies indulged in the traditional raiding and killing activities of all the plains indians, and that he bragged about it, so that the Americans knew. The whole story is a fascinating tale of the conflict between a stone age society charging headlong into the not so welcoming arms of a for that time modern nation state.
Had to look up is bio. He represented his tribe well. It's a shame he had to deal with the destroyer Gen. Sheridan. Good post, cw.
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DeleteNever surrender. Never go to the enemy's camp under any circumstance, as Crazy Horse unfortunately found out.
ReplyDeleteThere were probably fellow Kiowas that told Santanta that, but what could he do? The Americans were an irresistible force, and since they couldn't be stopped militarily, only through negotiations could some sort of independence be saved for the tribe. He did what he had to do. It's too bad that before he came to this conclusion, he and his buddies indulged in the traditional raiding and killing activities of all the plains indians, and that he bragged about it, so that the Americans knew. The whole story is a fascinating tale of the conflict between a stone age society charging headlong into the not so welcoming arms of a for that time modern nation state.
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