2003 Indian Peace Treaty Pageant

Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Back by popular demand, here are my pictures from the Peace Treaty on September 25th to 27th of 2003. I shot these on my old film camera so they're not as good as digital, but they're still fun to look at. Next time, I'll try to get a better view for the camera. In order to shoot the large scenes like the wagon train, I have to be farther back, but to shoot the individual scenes I need to be closer. So next time I'll have to move back and forth.

It was a perfect day for the Peace Treaty, not too hot and not windy. There was lots of rain that year so the trees and grass were very green and the natural ampi-theater looked ideal. The site of the wagon train off in the distance was very impressive, and gave you a true feel for what the settlers really experienced. Life back then was very difficult and we should never take our modern conveniences for granted.

To see the full sized picture, hold the mouse over the picture and double click. To return to this page, click the back arrow (left arrow) on the upper left of your browser. Most of the pictures are 60 to 80 KB and if you're on a dial-up modem each picture may take up to half a minute to load.

For a satellite photo of the Peace Treaty grounds, click the green Kansas button.

Let's start with the parade. These are from just the Friday morning parade, which was shorter than the Saturday parade.

One of these pictures is Jenelle as a flower (squint really hard!) and of course doing the dance of the spirit of the flowers. Then there were indians.

These pictures are the Spanish missionaries and then conquistadores and finally the Spanish royalty.

These pictures represent the different countries that controlled the Americas at different times between about 1600 and 1800. The flag of red, white and blue in vertical strips is France. The red and gold flag is Spain. The red, white and blue flag with the white X is the Union Jack of England. Notice that 300 years ago (150 years before Marx and all the left wing politics) France was not retreating or surrendering.

This next picture is where Spain gives the Louisiana area to France. A few mountain men and some English colonists move into the area and have confrontations with the indians. Zebulon Pike explores the southwest and meets with the indians. A young soldier and an indian brave get into a fight and the soldier wins.

Next are the mountain men like Pasquinel and McTeague. For more information, watch Grandma Cole's series of Centennial. The pictures show the mountain man rendezvous. Unfortunately, McTeague was gay. So was Dr. Kildare. After that, the pictures are of the Pony Express. My favorite is the second picture where I caught the horse at a full gallop.

The next series of pictures are from the stage coach scene. At first, a rich young lady in a blue satin dress boards the stage in Kansas City to go west to Dodge. Then the highwaymen rob the stage and one man gets shot. The horse action is really cool. You can tell that the guy on the far right is a real dummy because he lets himself get caught and lynched without trying to escape.

In this series we get to see honest Abe Lincoln played by honest Ivan Klusman. At first, the indians watch from their camp. Then the cavalry comes to clear the way for President Abraham Lincoln. Abe arrives in his buggy and then gives one of his famous speeches. He signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves, as well as founding the Republican Party.

Now we get to the actual Peace Treaty itself. First, the indians get the word to meet at the fork in the river where the water has healing powers, the Medicine River. Then they make their dramatic (and dusty) entrance to the site, and the chiefs come to the meeting table. Each chief argues for his people and their land. The congressmen and politicians make their arguments, and finally the indian chiefs agree to the peace treaty. One renegade indian brave tries to steal the treaty and get away, but he gets caught and punished.

This next series of pictures shows the great cattle drives across the plains. Git along, little doggie!

Finally we come to the wagon train scene. In the first picture you only see half of the wagon train. It really was quite a site to see the real wagon train, stretching across the plains for a mile. You can see that the indians watched suspiciously while the wagons pulled up and made a circle. While the men unhitched the horses and fed them, the women cooked supper. After supper, they had a short church service, and then there was a little music and dancing. One young boy and his girl friend went off to get some privacy and that first kiss. Then the indians attacked. They kidnapped the young girl and shot the young boy as he tried to get back to the camp. The men in the wagon train fought bravely holding the indians off, until finally the cavalry arrived. The cavalry rescued that young girl as well as fighting off the attack by the indians. And as the cavalry takes a bow, the wagon train moves off to make way for modern America.