The treaty was imperfect — it was negotiated in a single council session, many nations had complicated internal politics about who could represent them, and the U.S. government’s ability to enforce its terms was limited.

But it did create a temporary diplomatic opening.

Various nations that had been at war used the post-treaty period to attempt negotiations and exchanges that would have been impossible during active conflict.

Woman Chief’s peace mission was one of these attempts.

That it failed does not necessarily mean it was naive.

Diplomatic attempts fail for many reasons.

The Gros Ventre warriors who encountered her party may have been acting outside their nation’s broader political decisions, or may have been responding to their own specific grievances, or may simply have encountered a group that looked like an enemy and reacted accordingly.

What her death tells us about her is that she was willing to take significant personal risk in pursuit of a diplomatic goal.