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The Native American Peoples
Photography and story by Kenneth E. Thompson
MLHS Class of '72
After the Civil War was over, and after the Treaty of Medicine Lodge Creek, the pageant goes back in history
to the time of Early America which many historians refer to as pre-Columbian, meaning before Columbus. In the first
series of pictures, the elementary school students do the dance of the flowers of the Spirit of the Prairie.
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The Native American People
| The word Indian is a misnomer. Since Columbus was looking for India in Asia, he thought he had landed in India
and consequently referred to the indigenous people of America as indians. The name of America for the continent was
the result of a mapmaker named Amerigo Vespucci. He made a map of the New World and needed a name for it, so he put
his own name on the map, and the New World eventually became known as America. The indigenous people of America range
from the Eskimos of Alaska to the people of South America. While the Eskimos were struggling to survive against the
harsh climate of the north, the Aztecs of Mexico were doing human sacrifices in honor of their sun god, and the Incas
of Peru were acclimating to the 15,000-ft peaks of the Andes mountains. There were no horses in the New World. As each
of the tribes came into contact with the Spanish explorers, they learned to ride the horse. |
Our story concerns the Plains Indians.
The Arapaho migrated into Kansas, probably following buffalo herds. When the settlers first arrived in the area, the
Arapaho were fighting other tribes such as Shoshoni, Ute, Navaho, and Pawnee. By the time of the 1867 Peace Treaty,
they were at peace with all the Plains tribes. Their leader was Chief Little Raven.
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The Comanche originally lived in the Rocky Mountains. They were one of the first tribes to come into contact with
Spanish explorers, and consequently, they were one of the first tribes to ride the white man's animal, the horse. In
1859, a gold rush at Pike's Peak brought many settlers to southern Colorado, which brought about war between the white
man and the Comanche. The white man had killed off the huge herds of buffalo which also added to the war. In the 1867
Medicine Creek Peace Treaty, the Comanche were granted almost 3 million acres of land in Oklahoma.
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The Apache were known as the Prairie Apache and the Kiowa Apache. Lewis & Clark made contact with the Apache during
their famous expedition. Their chief was known as Pacer and he was a strong peace maker for the tribe.
The Kiowa tribe originally lived near Yellowstone National Park. Two of their great chiefs had a great fight that split
the tribe into two tribes. One of the tribes drifed into the Black Hills and fought the Cheyenne and Dakota tribes,
then drifted on south to Kansas. When the settlers moved into the area, the Kiowa were said to have killed more white
men than any other tribe. In the 1867 Medicine Creek Peace Treaty, the Kiowa were granted a reservation west of the
98th meridian in southern Oklahoma. They continued to make attacks on the white settlements until their leader, Chief
Satanta was imprisoned. He committed suicide while in prison.
The Cheyenne tribe was originally from the Great Lakes area, particularly what we call Minnesota. They were once great
farmers, growing corn and making pottery. But they were driven south by the hostile Sioux, eventually to become nomadic
buffalo hunters along with the Arapaho. As they drifted south of the Arkansas River, they became involved in a great
war with the Kiowa. After making peace with the Kiowa, they drifted west to the Rocky Mountains to the area of Fort
Lyon. While they were waiting for news of their reservation, they were attacked in the "Sand Creek Massacre" which
greatly destroyed their tribe. Their leader was Chief Black Kettle.
