The Cheyenne tradition of the civil chiefs — men whose role was the protection of the community through diplomatic means, who bore responsibility for the welfare of women, children, and elders — gives Black Kettle a specific place within the tradition that recognizes both what he did and what it cost.

His commitment to the peace path, sustained across two decades and including the continuation after Sand Creek, is recognized as a form of courage that is different from but not lesser than the courage of the battlefield.

The civil chief who continues to seek peace after massacre is taking a different kind of risk than the warrior who charges into battle.

Black Kettle took that risk consistently and completely.