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The 1866 Fort Laramie Council: What Actually Happened

The council at Fort Laramie in June 1866 that Red Cloud walked out of is one of the pivotal moments in American Indian history, and its specific dynamics are worth examining in detail.

The council had been convened by the United States government to negotiate permission for the Bozeman Trail and the military posts that would protect it.

The federal Indian agents and military representatives who organized the council had reason to believe they could reach an agreement — some Lakota leaders were inclined toward accommodation, and past councils had produced signatures on documents that allowed American expansion to proceed.