It had been violated.

What Red Cloud Said About It

Red Cloud’s public statements about his experience and his understanding of the treaty’s significance provide some of the most direct primary-source material available for understanding his perspective.

In his 1870 visit to Washington and New York, he spoke about the specific promises he understood had been made and the specific ways those promises were not being honored.

He described the conditions at the Red Cloud Agency in terms that made clear his expectation of what the treaty had committed to and his understanding that what was being delivered fell short.