Black Kettle’s strategy was sound in its underlying logic.

It failed because the other party to the negotiation was not capable of keeping its commitments.

The Peace Faction Within Cheyenne Society

Black Kettle was not alone among Cheyenne leaders in seeking peaceful accommodation, though he was the most prominent and most persistent of the peace chiefs.

Understanding the broader peace faction within Cheyenne society helps clarify both the political context in which he operated and the significance of his choices.

The Council of Forty-Four, the traditional Cheyenne governing body, was composed entirely of peace chiefs — men whose institutional role was diplomacy and the management of external relations.