He spent his life trying to get the American government to make substantive commitments and keep them.

The work is not finished.

The Full Length of His Achievement

What is the full measure of what Black Kettle accomplished in his life?

He maintained a commitment to peace across more than two decades of deteriorating relations between the Cheyenne and the United States.

He survived Sand Creek — an event that would have broken anyone’s faith in the peace process — and continued to seek diplomatic solutions.

He signed treaties that his fellow chiefs refused to sign, accepting terms that reduced Cheyenne territory and autonomy because he calculated that the alternative was worse.