James N. Leiker Presents “The Cheyenne Exodus” at the 150th Anniversary Conference

Article by Michael D. King

    In the rugged terrain of the American West, there existed a tribe known as the Cheyenne. They were proud and resilient people deeply connected to their ancestral homeland and had long lived in harmony with the land in their northern homes. However, encroaching settlements and the shifting tides of history forced them to confront a grim reality. A series of events known as the Cheyenne Exodus forever altered their lives.
    In May 1877, the renowned Oglala Sioux war leader Crazy Horse surrendered his band at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. Accompanying him were at least two bands of northern Cheyenne, united under the leadership of chiefs Dull Knife and Little Wolf. Following their victory against Custer at the Little Bighorn, the bands separated due to the US Army's winter campaigns. Many endured harsh winter conditions and finally found relative safety, only to be greeted with this news of surrender, adding to their considerable hardships. Despite much suffering among the women, children, and elders in the spring, Crazy Horse took his bands to the fort. One officer on the scene remarked that it looked more like a victory parade than a surrender.

Photograph of the Northern Cheyenne chiefs Little Coyote (better known as Little Wolf) and Morning Star (better known as Dull Knife) by William Henry Jackson, 1873

   The Cheyenne were unexpectedly ordered to move to the southern Cheyenne reservation in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). This news angered Little Wolf and Dull Knife, who had signed the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, which permanently ceded lands in Montana and South Dakota, including the Black Hills, to the Sioux and Cheyenne. The Cheyennes were hesitant to leave their homes in the north. However, leading chiefs like Standing Elk, Dulknife, Wild Hog, and Little Wolf, who held significant influence within the tribe, eventually convinced them to move to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency under John D. Miles. Under the leadership of these chiefs, the Cheyenne people found themselves at a crossroads.
     In the summer of 1877, approximately one thousand Northern Cheyennes embarked on a journey south towards Fort Dodge en route to Indian Territory. This relocation, under government supervision, was a testament to the Cheyennes' unwavering resilience. Just a year prior, they had participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and some of the warriors still proudly wore clothing they had taken as trophies from the men of General Custer's U.S. Seventh Cavalry.
     As the Cheyennes camped near Fort Dodge in late July, before their journey continued to Camp Supply, a fascinating cultural exchange took place. Many Dodge City residents seized what they believed to be one of their last opportunities to observe the Cheyennes in their natural state. In return, the Cheyennes, out of curiosity and perhaps a sense of diplomacy, spent several days in the town, engaging in door-to-door begging and periodically performing native dances for the amusement of their hosts. Unknown to the residents of Dodge City, they would later have a second opportunity to encounter many of these same Native Americans under much less friendly circumstances.
     Once they arrived at the reservation in Oklahoma, their hopes of a new life were dashed, and they encountered disappointment and mistreatment at the agency. Nevertheless, the Cheyennes, especially Dulknife's people, did not succumb to despair. They struggled to adapt to their new home, their resilience shining through even in the face of unheard pleas for assistance. The harsh winter brought misery as disease and starvation claimed the lives of 47 Cheyennes, casting a dark shadow over their already troubled journey. 
      Faced with such dire circumstances, the Cheyennes longed to return to their Montana homeland. The harsh, dry, and dusty conditions, coupled with a measles outbreak, made life on the reservation unbearable. It became clear to Dull Knife that the unfamiliar territory of the southern reservation was proving to be just as grim as their previous struggles. 

Cheyenne Arrapahoe Agency North Fork of the Canadian River 1878

     In the early morning of September 9, 1878,  Dull Knife made a daring and fateful decision. With his heart set on returning to his homeland at any cost, he quietly led his people north, their determination palpable in the air. Despite dwindling numbers, consisting of only about 353 individuals, Dull Knife's resolve remained unwavering. They departed from Indian Territory with 92 men, 120 women, 69 boys, and 72 girls, making their way through two-thirds of western Kansas in less than three weeks. No bison could be found en route, so they survived by stealing. Dysentery, chills, and fever plagued them, but their determination to reclaim what was rightfully theirs never wavered. 
     Following their departure, approximately 240 infantry and cavalry detachments swiftly activated the pursuit of Dull Knife and his band. Yet, the group's adept use of defensible terrain and shock tactics during combat allowed them to elude their pursuers. This strategic maneuvering showcases a tightly controlled yet precarious military society in motion, with the Cheyennes' individual warfare style giving way to centralized, disciplined leadership under a master strategist.
     Raiding parties fanned out on a large scale to seize fresh horses and supplies; feeding more than three hundred people daily made foraging for civilian livestock essential. Warriors captured dozens of horses and killed several employees at ranches along the Cimarron River. In Ford County on September 16, a cook in a cattle camp, "a colored man" named George Simmons, lost his life during a raid. In total, Northern Cheyenne violence claimed nine lives in Indian Territory and southwest Kansas. These attacks drove Dodge City residents into a state of near trepidation.
    The journey north was perilous, with the threat of capture looming over them at every turn. However, Dull Knife and his people's determination was unyielding, fueled by their yearning for freedom and their ancestral lands. The pursuit was intense, but Dull Knife and his band pressed on, their spirits unbroken. Their resolute march northward carried with it the echoes of defiance, a powerful force that fueled their unwavering strength and their refusal to be confined any longer.

Images: Map of the Route: University of Kansas Cartographic and GIS Services, from The Northern Cheyenne Exodus in History and Memory by James N Leiken and Ramon Powers; Cheyenne Woman traveling with a travois, image from True West Magazine, True West Archives;  Punished Woman’s Fork, from WikiCommons, Public Domain; Pioneer Family from near Oberlin, Kansas, from Pinterest (could not locate original source); Kansas Historical Marker for the Last Indian Raids in Oberlin, Kansas, Kansas State Historical Society

       Their determination to reclaim what was rightfully theirs led to clashes with settlers and conflicts with the U.S. Army. The struggles, sacrifices, and losses during their attempted escape from Indian Territory to Montana left a lasting mark on American Indian history. The echoes of the Cheyenne Exodus continue to resonate through time, shaping the narratives of Native Americans and settlers. This poignant chapter, chronicled by historians, novelists, and filmmakers, ensures the memory of the Cheyennes' trials endures, underscoring the enduring impact of their struggle. ​

GROUP Of NORTHERN CHEYENNE INDIANS. (411 that were left in a war of oxtermination in 1879 following a raid through Kensas when forty whites and six hundred Indians werekilled.)

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James N. Leiker and Ramon Powers, in their work "The Northern Cheyenne Exodus in History and Memory," explore how this event has been remembered and retold. They analyze the recollections of Indians, settlers, and their descendants and examine local history, mass-media representations, and literature. They draw thought-provoking conclusions about the evolving nature of this story over time.
The Cheyennes' journey has often been described using melodramatic stereotypes, with the most recent versions depicting "noble savages" attempting to reclaim their birthright. 

However, Leiker and Powers deconstruct and surpass these stereotypes, emphasizing that history is a complex tapestry of narratives, never simple. They point out that the Cheyennes' flight left both white and Indian bones scattered along its route from Oklahoma to Montana. According to them, the descendants of the Cheyennes and the settlers they encountered are all Westerners who require a nuanced understanding of history to make sense of the bones and arrowheads scattered across the plains.
Leiker and Powers portray a rural West where diverse peoples, both Euro-American and Native American, seek to preserve their heritage through memory and history. This book is a compelling read for anyone living in the contemporary Great Plains or seeking to understand the West.
Join us on November 1st and 2nd, 2024, for the 150th Anniversary Conference of the Western Cattle Trail. James N. Leiker will share the story of the Cheyenne Exodus, shedding light on the harsh realities experienced by the Cheyennes as they were forcefully taken from their northern homes. The journey was marked by disease, despair, and death.
Sign up today to reserve your seat @ https://www.westerncattletrailassoc.com/conference-info.html

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References:
Leiker, James N, and Ramon Powers. The Northern Cheyenne Exodus in History and Memory. University of Oklahoma Press, 9 Nov. 2012. 52-54
“The Northern Cheyenne Exodus in History and Memory.” University of Oklahoma Press, www.oupress.com/9780806143705/the-northern-cheyenne-exodus-in-history-and-memory/. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
https://www.oupress.com/9780806143705/the-northern-cheyenne-exodus-in-history-and-memory/
richfed. “There’s No Place like Home … the Exodus of the Northern Cheyenne.” Richard’s Meanderings, 2 Jan. 2016, richfed.com/2016/01/01/isnt-it-a-long-way-home/. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
https://richfed.com/2016/01/01/isnt-it-a-long-way-home/