The Chief Who Wanted Peace And Died For It — The Tragic Story Of Black Kettle
He told them explicitly that he could not guarantee what the Dog Soldiers would do.
This was not an admission of weakness or lack of authority.
It was an accurate description of how Cheyenne political institutions actually worked.
The Americans preferred to treat the civil chiefs as if they had total authority, because that made the treaty-making process simpler.
The consequence of this preference was that Black Kettle was held responsible — in effect, punished — for the actions of people he had no authority over.
The Dog Soldiers and the Limits of Peace
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