Showing posts with label Cheyenne people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cheyenne people. Show all posts

Saturday, September 26, 2026

Tuesday, September 26, 1876. Ceding the Black Hills.

 Many Sioux and Cheyenne who had left reservations earlier remained off them, but none the less a new treaty was being successively signed with various returned bands.

The agreement ceded the Black Hills.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a certain agreement made by George W. Manypenny, Henry B. Whipple, Jared W. Daniels, Albert G. Boone, Henry C. Bulis, Newton Edmunds, and Augustine S. Gaylord, commissioners on the part of the United States, with the different bands of the Sioux Nation of Indians, and also the Northern Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians, be, and the same is hereby, ratified and confirmed: Provided, That nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize the removal of the Sioux Indians to the Indian Territory and the President of the United States is hereby directed to prohibit the removal of any portion of the Sioux Indians to the Indian Territory until the same shall be authorized by an act of Congress hereafter enacted, except article four, except also the following portion of article six: "And if said Indians shall remove to said Indian Territory as hereinbefore provided, the Government shall erect for each of the principal chiefs a good and comfortable dwelling-house" said article not having been agreed to by the Sioux Nation; said agreement is in words and figures following, namely: "Articles of agreement made pursuant to the provisions of an act of Congress entitled 'An act making appropriations for the current and contingent expenses of the Indian Department, and for fulfilling treaty stipulations with various Indian tribes, for the year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, and for other purposes,' approved August 15, 1876, by and between George W. Manypenny, Henry B. Whipple, Jared W. Daniels, Albert G. Boone, Henry C. Bulis, Newton Edmunds, and Augustine S. Gaylord, commissioners on the part of the United States, and the different bands of the Sioux Nation of Indians, and also the Northern Arapahoes and Cheyennes, by their chiefs and headmen, whose names are hereto subscribed, they being duly authorized to act in the premises.

Boundaries of reduced reservation.

"Article 1. The said parties hereby agree that the northern and western boundaries of the reservation defined by article 2 of the treaty between the United States and different tribes of Sioux Indians, concluded April 29, 1868, and proclaimed February 24, 1869, shall be as follows: The western boundaries shall commence at the intersection of the one hundred and third meridian of longitude with the northern boundary of the State of Nebraska; thence north along said meridian to its intersection with the South Fork of the Cheyenne River; thence down said stream to its junction with the North Fork; thence up the North Fork of said Cheyenne River to the said one hundred and third meridian; thence north along said meridian to the South Branch of Cannon Ball River or Cedar Creek; and the northern boundary of their said reservation shall follow the said South Branch to its intersection with the main Cannon Ball River, and thence down the said main Cannon Ball River to the Missouri River; and the said Indians do hereby relinquish and cede to the United States all the territory lying outside the said reservation, as herein modified and described, including all privileges of hunting; and article 16 of said treaty is hereby abrogated.

Roads, etc., through reservation.

"Article 2. The said Indians also agree and consent that wagon and other roads, not exceeding three in number, may be constructed and maintained, from convenient and accessible points on the Missouri River, through said reservation, to the country lying immediately west thereof, upon such routes as shall be designated by the President of the United States; and they also consent and agree to the free navigation of the Missouri River.

Annuities, where received.

"Article 3. The said Indians also agree that they will hereafter receive all annuities provided by the said treaty of 1868, and all subsistence and supplies which may be provided for them under the present or any future act of Congress, at such points and places on the said reservation, and in the vicinity of the Missouri River, as the President of the United States shall designate.

Delegation to select home in Indian Territory.

Article 4 not confirmed.

Removal within one year.

"Article 4. [The Government of the United States and the said Indians, being mutually desirous that the latter shall be located in a country where they may eventually become self-supporting and acquire the arts of civilized life, it is therefore agreed that the said Indians shall select a delegation of five or more chiefs and principal men from each band, who shall, without delay, visit the Indian Territory under the guidance and protection of suitable persons, to be appointed for that purpose by the Department of the Interior, with a view to selecting therein a permanent home for the said Indians. If such delegation shall make a selection which shall be satisfactory to themselves, the people whom they represent, and to the United States, then the said Indians agree that they will remove to the country so selected within one year from this date. And the said Indians do further agree in all things to submit themselves to such beneficent plans as the Government may provide for them in the selection of a country suitable for a permanent home, where they may live like white men.]

Assistance, schools, rations, purchase of surplus, employment.

Sioux rations.

How issued.

Government will purchase surplus production.

"Article 5. In consideration of the foregoing cession of territory and rights, and upon full compliance with each and every obligation assumed by the said Indians, the United States does agree to provide all necessary aid to assist the said Indians in the work of civilization; to furnish to them schools and instruction in mechanical and agricultural arts, as provided for by the treaty of 1868. (Also to provide the said Indians with subsistence consisting of a ration for each individual of a pound and a half of beef, (or in lieu thereof, one half pound of bacon,) one-half pound of flour, and one-half pound of corn; and for every one hundred rations, four pounds of coffee, eight pounds of sugar, and three pounds of beans, or in lieu of said articles the equivalent thereof, in the discretion of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Such rations, or so much thereof as may be necessary, shall be continued until the Indians are able to support themselves.) Rations shall, in all cases, be issued to the head of each separate family; and whenever schools shall have been provided by the Government for said Indians, no rations shall be issued for children between the ages of six and fourteen years (the sick and infirm excepted) unless such children shall regularly attend school. Whenever the said Indians shall be located upon lands which are suitable for cultivation, rations shall be issued only to the persons and families of those persons who labor, (the aged, sick, and infirm excepted;) and as an incentive to industrious habits the Commissioner of Indian Affairs may provide that such persons be furnished in payment for their labor such other necessary articles as are requisite for civilized life. The Government will aid said Indians as far as possible in finding a market for their surplus productions, and in finding employment, and will purchase such surplus, as far as may be required, for supplying food to those Indians, parties to this agreement, who are unable to sustain themselves; and will also employ Indians, so far as practicable, in the performance of Government work upon their reservation.

Erection of houses on allotments.

So much of articles as is embraced in the brackets is not confirmed.

"Article 6. Whenever the head of a family shall, in good faith, select an allotment of said land upon such reservation and engage in the cultivation thereof, the Government shall, with his aid, erect a comfortable house on such allotment; [and if said Indians shall remove to said Indian Territory as hereinbefore provided, the Government shall erect for each of the principal chiefs a good and comfortable dwelling-house.]

Artisans and other employees to be married, etc.

Unfit persons to receive no benefits.

"Article 7. To improve the morals and industrious habits of said Indians, it is agreed that the agent, trader, farmer, carpenter, blacksmith, and other artisans employed or permitted to reside within the reservation belonging to the Indians, parties to this agreement, shall be lawfully married and living with their respective families on the reservation; and no person other than an Indian of full blood, whose fitness, morally or otherwise, is not, in the opinion of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, conducive to the welfare of said Indians, shall receive any benefit from this agreement or former treaties, and may be expelled from the reservation.

In force.

Indians subject to laws of United States.

"Article 8. The provisions of the said treaty of 1868, except as herein modified, shall continue in full force, and, with the provisions of this agreement, shall apply to any country which may hereafter be occupied by the said Indians as a home; and Congress shall, by appropriate legislation, secure to them an orderly government; they shall be subject to the laws of the United States, and each individual shall be protected in his rights of property, person, and life.

Indians pledged to this agreement.

Police force.

"Article 9. The Indians, parties to this agreement, do hereby solemnly pledge themselves, individually and collectively, to observe each and all of the stipulations herein contained, to select allotments of land as soon as possible after their removal to their permanent home, and to use their best efforts to learn to cultivate the same. And they do solemnly pledge themselves that they will at all times maintain peace with the citizens and Government of the United States; that they will observe the laws thereof and loyally endeavor to fulfill all the obligations assumed by them under the treaty of 1868 and the present agreement, and to this end will, whenever requested by the President of the United States, select so many suitable men from each band to co-operate with him in maintaining order and peace on the reservation as the President may deem necessary, who shall receive such compensation for their services as Congress may provide.

Annual census to be taken in December.

"Article 10. In order that the Government may faithfully fulfill the stipulations contained in this agreement, it is mutually agreed that a census of all Indians affected hereby shall be taken in the month of December of each year, and the names of each head of family and adult person registered; said census to be taken in such manner as the Commissioner of Indian Affairs may provide.

Term "reservation."

"Article 11. It is understood that the term reservation herein contained shall be held to apply to any country which shall be selected under the authority of the United States as the future home of said Indians.

Agreement subject to approval.

"This agreement shall not be binding upon either party until it shall have received the approval of the President and Congress of the United States.

Signatures.

"Dated and signed at Red Cloud agency, Nebraska, September 26, 1876.

"GEORGE W. MANYPENNY. [SEAL.]

"HENRY B. WHIPPLE. [SEAL.]

"J. W. DANIELS. [SEAL.]

"ALBERT G. BOONE. [SEAL.]

"H. C. BULIS. [SEAL.]

"NEWTON EDMUNDS. [SEAL.]

"A. S. GAYLORD. [SEAL.]


"Attest:

"Charles M. Hendley,

"Secretary.


"OGALLALLA SIOUX—CHIEFS AND HEADMEN


"Marpiya-luta, (Red Cloud,) his x mark, seal.

"Taxunke-kokipe, (Afraid-of-his-Horse,) his x mark, seal.

"Xunka-luta, (Red Dog,) his x mark, seal.

"Taopi-cikala, (Little Wound,) his x mark, seal.

"Waxicun-taxunke, (American Horse,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-kokipa, (Afraid-of-the-Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-yamni, (Three Bears,) his x mark, seal.

"Wakinyan-peta, (Fire-Thunder,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-luza, (Fast Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Kangi-ho-waxte, (Crow-with-a-good-voice,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-ayuwi, (Turning Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Itunkassan-waumli, (Weasel-Eagle,) his x mark, seal.

"Warpe-xa, (Red Leaf,) his x mark, seal.

"Ixta-peta, (Fire Eyes, or White Bull,) his x mark, seal.

"Pte-san-wicaxa, (Man White Cow,) his x mark, seal.

"Kangi-tanka, (Big Crow,) his x mark, seal.

"Tatanka-waxte, (Good Bull,) his x mark, seal.

"Xunkikyuha, (Sorrel Horse,) his x mark, seal.

"Itunkasan-mato, (Weasel-Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Wahukeza-nonpa, (Two-Lance,) his x mark, seal.

"Owe-xica, (Bad Wound,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-wankantu, (High Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Tokicu, (He-takes-the-Enemy,) his x mark, seal.

"Akcita, (Soldier,) his x mark, seal.

"Ite-glega, (Stupid Face, or Slow Bull,) his x mark, seal.

"Xunmanito wankantu, (High Wolf,) his x mark, seal.

"Si-tanka, (Big Foot,) his x mark, seal.

"Wakinyan-ska, (White Thunder,) his x mark, seal.

"Xunki-to, (Blue Horse,) his x mark, seal.


"ARAPAHOES


"Black Coal, his x mark, seal.

"Crazy Bull, his x mark, seal.

"Little Wolf, his x mark, seal.

"Sharp Nose, his x mark, seal.

"Six Feathers, his x mark, seal.

"White Horse, his x mark, seal.


"CHEYENNES


"Living Bear, his x mark, seal.

"Spotted Elk, his x mark, seal.

"Black Bear, his x mark, seal.

"Turkey Legs, his x mark, seal.

"Calfskin Shirt, his x mark, seal.


"Dated and signed at Spotted Tail agency, Nebraska, September 23, 1876.


"BRULE SIOUX


"Sinta-gleska, (Spotted Tail,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-luza, (Swift Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Nom-karpa, (Two Strike,) his x mark, seal.

"Wakinyan-ska, (White Thunder,) his x mark, seal.

"Heraka-najou, (Standing Elk,) his x mark, seal.

"Hi toto, (Blue Teeth,) his x mark, seal.

"Baptiste Good, his x mark, seal.

"Kangi-sapa, (Black Crow,) his x mark, seal.

"Taxunke-wakita, (Looking Horse,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-ocin-xica, (Wicked Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Wamli-cikala, (Little Eagle,) his x mark, seal.

"Xunka-luta, (Red Dog,) his x mark, seal.

"Tacampi-to, (Blue Tomahawk,) his x mark, seal.

"Xunka-luza, (Fast Dog,) his x mark, seal.

"Miwatani-hanska, (Tall Mandan,) his x mark, seal.

"Hitunkasan-luta, (Red Weasel,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-wakan, (Sacred Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Muggins, his x mark, seal.

"Ixnalawica, (Only Male,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-can-wegna-iyaye, (Bear-in-the-wood,) his x mark, seal.

"Hobu, (Coarse Voice,) his x mark, seal.

"No Flesh, (Conica-wanica,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-waukantu, (High Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Wicampi-tanka, (Big Star,) his x mark, seal.

"Akan-ka-kte, (Killed-on-horseback,) his x mark, seal.

"Ixta-ska-ska, (White Eyes,) his x mark, seal.

"Wamnionmi-akcita, (Whirlwind Soldier,) his x mark, seal.

"Wakinyan-cangleska, (Ring Thunder,) his x mark, seal.

"Wakinyan-wamli, (Thunder Eagle,) his x mark, seal.

"Xkeca-guaxkingan, (Crazy Mink,) his x mark, seal.

"Ho waxte, (Good Voice,) his x mark, seal.

"Ta-kudankokipexni, (Afraid-of-nothing,) his x mark, seal.

"Cante-peta, (Fire heart,) his x mark, seal.

"Wapaswapi, (Roast,) his x mark, seal.

"Itecantku-ze, (Yellow Breast,) his x mark, seal.

"Maza-wanapinya, (Iron Necklace,) his x mark, seal.

"Sinte-gleska-holkxila, (Young Spotted Tail,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-wanagi, (Bear Ghost,) his x mark, seal.

"Xunka-ixlala, (Lone Dog,) his x mark, seal.

"Pte-samvicaxa, (White Buffalo man,) his x mark, seal.

"Maz-ixta, (Iron Eyes,) his x mark, seal.

"Asanpi, (Milk,) his x mark, seal.

"Cetanwamli, (Eagle Hawk,) his x mark, seal.


"I certify that the foregoing treaty was read and explained by me, and was fully understood by the above named Indians, before signing, and that the same was executed by the above Ogallalla Sioux, Cheyennes, and Arapahoes, at Red Cloud agency, on the 20th day of September, A.D. 1876, and by the Brule Sioux at Spotted Tail agency on the 23rd day of September, A.D. 1876.


"SAML. D. HINMAN,

"Official Interpreter.


"Attest:

"Louis Bordeaux,

"William Garnett,

"William Roland,

"Henry C. Clifford

"Interpreters.


Consent of Sioux at Standing Rock.


"The foregoing articles of agreement having been fully explained to us in open council, we, the chiefs and headmen of the various bands of Sioux Indians, receiving rations and annuities at the Standing Rock agency, in the Territory of Dakota, do hereby consent and agree to all the stipulations therein contained, with the exception of so much of article four of said agreement as relates to our visit and removal to the Indian Territory; in all other respects the said article remaining in full force and effect.


"Witness our hands and seals at Standing Rock agency, Territory of Dakota, this 11th day of October, A. D. 1876.


"LOWER YANCTONAIS


"Mato-nonpa, (Two Bears,) his x mark, seal.

"Tashunka-kokipapi, (He fears his horse,) his x mark, seal.

"Waha, (Cotton Wood,) his x mark, seal.

"Hogan-duta, (Red Fish,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-Gnashkinyan, (Mad Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Cokamti, (Camp in Middle,) his x mark, seal.

"Tatanka-wanagi, (Bull's Ghost,) his x mark, seal.

"Waonzonge, (Pantaloons,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato chitika, (Brave Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Can-Icu, (Drag Wood,) his x mark, seal.

"Iyayog-manni, (Walk out of the way,) his x mark, seal.

"Igmu-sapa, (Black Wild Cat,) his x mark, seal.

"Akicita cikala, (Little Soldier,) his x mark, seal.

"Canhpi-sapa, (Black Tomahawk,) his x mark, seal.

"Hahaka-maza, (Iron Elk,) his x mark, seal.

"Inyang-mani, (Running Walker,) his x mark, seal.

"Tashunka-witko, (Fool Dog,) his x mark, seal.

"Wanmli-napin, (Eagle Necklace,) his x mark, seal.


"UPPER YANCTONAIS


"Nasulan-tanka, (Big Head,) his x mark, seal.

"Shunkaha-napin, (Wolf Necklace,) his x mark, seal.

"Ishta-sapa, (Black Eye,) his x mark, seal.

"Tahinca-ska, (White Deer,) his x mark, seal.

"Tatanka-luta, (Red Bull,) his x mark, seal.

"Maga, (Goose,) his x mark, seal.

"Tacanonpa, (His Pipe,) his x mark, seal.

"Cante-witko, (Fool Heart,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-wakantuya, (High Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Tatanka-pa, (Bull Head,) his x mark, seal.

"Shunka-wanjila, (Lone Dog,) his x mark, seal.

"Nape-tanka, (Big Hand,) his x mark, seal.


"UNCPAPAS


"Cetan-wakinyan, (Thunder Hawk,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato cuwiyuksa, (Bear Rib,) his x mark, seal.

"Tatoke-inyanke, (Running Antelope,) his x mark, seal.

"He-maza, (Iron Horn,) his x mark, seal.

"Wakute-mani, (Walking Shooter,) his x mark, seal.

"Akicita-hanska, (Long Soldier,) his x mark, seal.

"Wicasha-wakan, (Medicine Man,) his x mark, seal.

"Ishta-ska, (White Eye,) his x mark, seal.

"Zitkala-sapa, (Black Bird,) his x mark, seal.

"Nape-shica, (Bad Hand,) his x mark, seal.

"Wahukeza-luta, (Scarlet Lance,) his x mark, seal.


"BLACKFEET


"Peji, (John Grass,) his x mark, seal.

"Kangi-iyotanka, (Sitting Crow,) his x mark, seal.

"Cante-pete, (Fire Heart,) his x mark, seal.

"Zitkala-wankantuya, (High Bird,) his x mark, seal.

"Nata-opi, (Wounded Head,) his x mark, seal.

"Tashunka-luta, (Red Horse,) his x mark, seal.

"Cetan-luta, (Red Hawk,) his x mark, seal.


"Attest:

"R. E. Johnston

"Captain First Infantry, Bvt. Lieut. Col.,

"U.S.A., Acting Indian Agent.


"W. D. Wolverton,

"Surgeon U.S.A.


"I certify that the foregoing agreement was read and explained by me, and was fully understood by the above named Sioux Indians before signing, and that the same was executed by said Sioux Indians at Standing Rock agency, Dak, on the 11th day of October, A.D. 1876.


"SAML. D. HINMAN,

"Official Interpreter.


"Attest:

"Louis Agard,

"William Halsey,

"E. H. Allison,

"Interpreters.


Consent of Sioux at Cheyenne River.


"The foregoing articles of agreement having been fully explained to us in open council, we, the chiefs and headmen of the various bands of Sioux Indians, receiving rations and annuities at the Cheyenne River agency, in the Territory of Dakota, do hereby consent and agree to all the stipulations therein contained, with the exception of so much of article 4 of said agreement as relates to our visit and removal to the Indian Territory; in all other respects the said article remaining in full force and effect.


"Witness our hands and seals at Cheyenne River agency, Territory of Dakota, this 16th day of October, A. D. 1876.


"SANS ARC


"Kangi-wiyaka, (Crow Feather,) his x mark, seal.

"Waanatan, (The Charger,) his x mark, seal.

"Cetan-gi, (Yellow Hawk,) his x mark, seal.

"Taku-kokipa-xni, (Fearless,) his x mark, seal.

"Wiyaka-luta, (Red Feather,) his x mark, seal.

"Ho-waxte, (Good Voice,) his x mark, seal.

"Ite-xujahan, (Scare the Hawk,) his x mark, seal.

"Waiglu-xica, (Man that Hurts Himself,) his x mark, seal.

"Tatanka-ska, (White Bull,) his x mark, seal.

"Pehin-xaxa, (Red Hair,) his x mark, seal.


"BLACKFEET


"Mato-ayuwi, (Turning Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Wakinyan-ska, (White Thunder,) his x mark, seal.

"Ixto-xakiya, (Red Arm,) his x mark, seal.

"Hehloga, (Yearling,) his x mark, seal.

"Pa-hoton, (Sounding Head,) his x mark, seal.

"Mahpiya-gleglega, (Striped Cloud,) his x mark, seal.

"Itoye-psunpsunla, (Awkward Face,) his x mark, seal.

"Maza-napin, (Iron Necklace,) his x mark, seal.


"TWO KETTLE


"Mato-topa, (Four Bears,) his x mark, seal.

"Cuwi-hla-mani, (Rattling Ribs,) his x mark, seal.

"Mawatani-hanska-hokxila, (Long Mandan's Son,) his x mark, seal.

"Can-haha, (The Log,) his x mark, seal.

"Tacanhpi-luta, (Red Tomahawk,) his x mark, seal.

"Wokaya, (Brings the Food,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-waaktonsya, (Forgetful Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Xung-gleska-sapa, (Black Spotted Horse,) his x mark, seal.

"Xunka-wanjila, (The Lone Dog,) his x mark, seal.

"Hehaka-ska, (White Elk,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-gleska, (Spotted Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Ptesan-wanmli, (White Cow Eagle,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato wanmli, (Bear Eagle,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-tanka, (Big Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Cetan-luzahan, (Swift Hawk,) his x mark, seal.

"Wamniomni-luzahan, (Swift Whirlwind,) his x mark, seal.

"Taxunke-kokipapi, (Afraid-of-his-horse,) his x mark, seal.

"Hebola-nonpa, (Good Thunder,) his x mark, seal.

"Peji-to, (Green Grass,) his x mark, seal.

"Zitkala-kinyan, (Flying Bird,) his x mark, seal.

"Taxunka-maza, (Iron Horse,) his x mark, seal.

"Ptesan-wicaxa, (White Cow Man,) his x mark, seal.

"Sinte-nonpa, (Two Tails,) his x mark, seal.

"Kinyan-axapi, (Flying Laughing,) his x mark, seal.

"Inyan-hanksa, (Long Stone,) his x mark, seal.

"Natala, (Head,) his x mark, seal.

"Xungleska, (Spotted Horse,) his x mark, seal.

"Xiyo-sapa, (Black Prairie Chicken,) his x mark, seal.

"Wakuwa-mani, (Walking Hunter,) his x mark, seal.


"MINNECONJOU


"Magaska, (Swan,) his x mark, seal.

"Magakxica, (The Duck,) his x mark, seal.

"Cante-wanica, (No Heart,) his x mark, seal.

"Cante-wanica-wichahca, (Old Man No Heart,) his x mark, seal.

"Mahaka, (Standing Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Ixnawasanica, (The Half,) his x mark, seal.

"Xina-ska, (White Robe,) his x mark, seal.

"Canhpi-sapa, (Black Tomahawk,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-wankantuya, (High Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Winkte-nonpa, (The Keg,) his x mark, seal.

"Kankaca-luta, (Red Plume,) his x mark, seal.

"Hehanskaska, (long Horn,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-waxte, (Good Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Tatanka-pahakan-najin, (Bull on the Hill,) his x mark, seal.

"Xiyo-hanska, (Tall Prairie Chicken,) his x mark, seal.

"Cetan-gleska, (Spotted Hawk,) his x mark, seal.

"Inyan-boslahan, (Standing Rock,) his x mark, seal.


"Attest:

"CHARLES A. WICKOFF,

"Capt. Eleventh Infantry.


"LESLIE SMITH

"Capt. First Infantry, Bvt. Major, U.S. Army.


"Wm. Fielder,

"Mark Wells,

"Interpreters.


"I certify that the foregoing agreement was read and explained by me, and was fully understood by the above named Sioux Indians before signing; and that the same was executed by said Sioux Indians at Cheyenne River agency, Dakota, on the 16th day of October, A.D. 1876.


"SAML. D. HINMAN,

"Official Interpreter.


Consent of Sioux at Crow Creek.


"The foregoing articles of agreement having been fully explained to us in open council, we, the undersigned chiefs and headmen of the Sioux Indians, receiving rations and annuities at the Crow Creek agency, in the Territory of Dakota, do hereby consent and agree to all the stipulations therein contained, with the exception of so much of article 4 of said agreement as relates to our visit and removal to the Indian Territory; in all other respects the said article remaining in full force and effect.


"Witness our hands and seals at Crow Creek agency, Territory of Dakota, this 21st day of October, A. D. 1876.


"LOWER YANCTONAIS


"Wanigi-ska, (White Ghost,) his x mark, seal.

"Wanmdi-sapa, (Black Eagle,) his x mark, seal.

"Wizi, (Old Lodge,) his x mark, seal.

"Najinyan-upi, (Surrounded,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-watakpe, (Attacking Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-wakuwa-wicarca, (Old Man Running Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-wakuwa-hokxina, (Young Man Running Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Katayapi, (Killed,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-wakokipe-xni, (Fearless Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-ska, (White Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Waksuyemani, (Returns from War,) his x mark, seal.

"Kasde, (Splits,) his x mark, seal.

"Cagu-ska, (White Lungs or Bear Ghost,) his x mark, seal.

"Wanmdi-wicaxa, (Eagle Man,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-cekiyapi, (They Worship the Bear,) his x mark, seal.

"Kangi-iawakan, (Sacred Talking Crow,) his x mark, seal.

"Cetan-koyagmani, (Walks With a Hawk,) his x mark, seal.

"Maga-bobdu, (Stormy Goose,) his x mark, seal.

"Wage-hunka, (Yellow Man,) his x mark, seal.

"Nakpa-wanjina, (One Ear,) his x mark, seal.

"Onspexni, (He Don't Know,) his x mark, seal.


"Attest:

"HENRY F LIVINGSTON.

"FRANKLIN J. DE WITT.


"Edwd Ashley,

"H Burt,

"Antoine Le Clare,

"Interpreters.


"I certify that the foregoing agreement was read and explained by me, and was fully understood by the above named Sioux Indians before signing, and that the same was executed by said Sioux Indians at Crow Creek, Dakota, on the 21st day of October, A.D. 1876.


"SAML. D. HINMAN,

"Official Interpreter.


Consent of Sioux at Lower Brule.


"The foregoing articles of agreement having been fully explained to us in open council, we, the undersigned chiefs and headmen of the Sioux Indians, receiving rations and annuities at Lower Brule agency, in the Territory of Dakota, do hereby consent and agree to all the stipulations therein contained, with the exception of so much of article 4 of said agreement as relates to our visit and removal to the Indian Territory; in all other respects the said article remaining in full force and effect.


"Witness our hands and seals at Lower Brule agency, Territory of Dakota, this 24th day of October, A. D. 1876.


"LOWER BRULES


"Maza-oyate, (Iron Nation,) his x mark, seal.

"Tatanka-wakan, (Medicine Bull,) his x mark, seal.

"Ptesan-wicakte, (White Buffalo Cow,) his x mark, seal.

"Xiyocikala, (Little Pheasant,) his x mark, seal.

"Tatanka-pa, (Buffalo Head,) his x mark, seal.

"Marpiya-inajin, (Standing Cloud,) his x mark, seal.

"Cante-wicuwa, (Useful Heart,) his x mark, seal.

"Mato-xake-hanska, (Long Bear Claws,) his x mark, seal.

"Ixna-wica, (Only Man,) his x mark, seal.


"Attest


"HENRY E. GREGORY,

"I. D. DE RUSSY,

"Captain Second Infantry, U.S.A.


"Zephir Rencountre,

"H Burt,

"Interpreters.


"I certify that the foregoing agreement was read and explained by me, and was fully understood by the above named Sioux Indians before signing, and that the same was executed by said Sioux Indians at Lower Brule agency, Dakota, on the 24th day of October, A.D. 1876.


"SAML. D. HINMAN,

"Official Interpreter.

Consent of Sioux at Santee Reservation.

"The foregoing articles of agreement having been fully explained to us in open council, we, the undersigned chiefs and headmen of the Sioux Indians, receiving rations and annuities at the Santee reservation, in Knox County, in the State of Nebraska, do hereby consent and agree to all the stipulations therein contained, saving, reserving, and excepting all our rights, both collective and individual, in and to the said Santee reservation, in said Knox County and State of Nebraska, upon which we, the undersigned, and our people are now residing.

"Witness our hands and seals at Santee agency, county of Knox, State of Nebraska, this 27th day of October, A. D. 1876.

"SANTEE


"Joseph Wabashow, seal.

"Hake-waxte, his x mark, seal.

"Wakute, (The Shooter,) his x mark, seal.

"Huxaxa, (Red Legs,) his x mark, seal.

"Marpiya-duta, (Red Cloud,) his x mark, seal.

"Wakaninihanku, his x mark, seal.

"Wamanonsa, (The Thief,) his x mark, seal.

"Star Frazier, his x mark, seal.

"Pepe, (Sharp,) his x mark, seal.

"Hehaka-maza, (Iron Elk,) his x mark, seal.

"Tunkanwaxtexte, (The Good Stone God,) his x mark, seal.

"Daniel W. Hemans, seal.

"Eli Abraham, seal.

"Geo. Paypay, seal.

"Artemas Ehuamani, seal.

"James Paypay, seal.


"Attest:

"CHAS. H. SEARING.

"JOSEPH W. COOK.


"Charles Mitchell,

"Alfred L. Riggs,

"Interpreters.

"I certify that the foregoing agreement was read and explained by me, and was fully understood by the above named Sioux Indians before signing, and that the same was executed by said Sioux Indians at Santee agency, county of Knox, and state of Nebraska, on the 27th day of October, A.D. 1876.

"SAML. D. HINMAN,

"Official Interpreter.

Approved, February 28, 1877.

Taza, son of Cochise and a leader in his own right, died in Washington D.C. of pneumonia.  He was 33 years old.  He was laid to rest there.

The German manufacturer Henkel, most famous to history for aircraft, was founded.  The multifaceted company still exists.

Last edition:

Thursday, September 21, 1876. The Youngers captured.

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Saturday, September 9, 1876. Battle of Slim Buttes.

Today In Wyoming's History: September 9: 1876  The second day of the Battle of Slim Buttes, South Dakota, sees the first day's fighting.  The 3d Cavalry had surrounded a Sioux village undetected the night prior and charged this morning.  American Horse was mortally wounded.  Indian survivors fled to the neighboring Cheyenne and Sioux village.  In he meantime, elements of additional cavalry and infantry units arrived at the occupied village.



Wyatt and Morgan Earp left Dodge City, Kansas for Deadwood, South Dakota in hopes of filing mining claims.

Last edition:

Friday, July 17, 2026

Monday, July 17, 1876. "First scalp for Custer".

Today In Wyoming's History: July 17: 1876   The battle of Warbonnet Creek occured in which Col. Wesley Merritt and his 5th Cavalry, out of Fort Robinson, Nebraska, attack the Cheyenne in the vicinity of Fort Robinson.  The battle launches Buffalo Bill Cody into fame.


Cody famously killed Chief Yellow Hair (not Hand), Heova'ehe, in what was a very small scale skirmish.

Last edition:

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Friday, June 30, 1876. A rainy day.

The wounded from the Battle of the Little Big Horn reached the steamer Far West.  It was a rainy day.

The steamer departed at 1:40, continually hitting the banks of the river on the way downstream.

The Cheyenne who had been at Little Big Horn had moved down near where they had fought Crook on the Rosebud.  They were pursuing game.

Gibbon was left completely in charge of his command at 4:00 p.m. that day.  A roster was called of the 7th Cavalry to see who remained.

Frank Grouard, who was half polynesian, and who had been captured by, and had lived with, the Sioux as a young man, taking a Sioux wife.  In spite of that close association he later "escaped" and became a scout.  His biography is particularly odd and complicated and this barely touches on it.

Crook's troops remained in camp on Goose Creek on what was a rainy day there as well.  Scout Frank Grouard went sent scouting and returned finding nothing.  In fact, Sitting Bull's camp was moving straight for them.

Three miners strayed into the camp and told Crook that natives had told them of a large battle in which cavalrymen had been wiped out. Crook didn't believe them and began to organize a hunting party into the Bighorns in what would become one of the greatest hunting and fishing expeditions of all time.

Last entry:

June 29, 1876. Evacuating the wounded and turning east.

Thursday, June 25, 2026

Sunday, June 25, 1876. The Battle of the the Little Big Horn.


Today In Wyoming's History: June 25: 

June 25


1876  The legendary Battle of the Little Big Horn occurs in southeastern Montana. On this date, in 1876, a large combined group of Cheyennes, Sioux, Arapaho and maybe even a few Metis, defeated an assault by the 7th Cavalry in southern Montana, resulting in the complete elimination of one prong of a split assault, and the retreat and desperate defense by two other elements of the command. The 7th's effort was part of a summer 1876 campaign on the northern plains, which had seen a the defeat of a combined unit of elements of the 2d & 3d Cavalry, 4th and 9th Infantry, and Crow and Shoshone scouts in southern Montana several days earlier. Both Plains Indians victories marked the high water mark, and the rapidly receding tide, of Indian power on the northern plains.

Little Big Horn is by far the most famous of American Indian battles, and almost defines them for the average person. It remains one of the most written about of all American historical events. It was a huge shock to the American psyche at the time, and resulted in the Army being expanded by 2,500 men for Plains service.

In terms of actual casualties, the 7th suffered about 52 percent casualties of the force that was deployed, in a battle that saw fighting at widely separated points, several miles distant, including 16 officers and 242 enlisted men killed. One officer and 51 enlisted men survived the battles with wounds. The battle is mostly remembered due to the fact that the every man in Custer's immediate command was killed, which makes up the bulk of the casualties. This may be a bit unfair, as it somewhat discounts the effective defense put up by Reno and Benteen's men in a separate location.

Of interest, 22% of the 7th Cavalry was detached prior to the expedition on other duties, a fairly common occurrence. 166 men and officers therefore were not present on the campaign, and missed the battle.

Some may wonder why I have included this even in a Wyoming daily history blog, as I included an item about Colorado's Sand Creek Massacre yesterday, but these are all regional events, which had an enormous impact on Wyoming at the time.  For the Indians in particular, the territorial borders did not exist.
The battle remains the greatest single defeat, and the greatest single loss of life in a single battle, in the post 1865 Indian Wars.  It is not, however, the U.S. Army's worst day during the long struggle with Native Americans.  That day was the Battle of the Wabash in 1791 in which the Northwestern Confederacy of Native Americans decisively defeated the U.S. Army with the Army loosing 656 men to the Natives 21 in spite of the forces being evenly matched.  It was by some measures the worst day in American military  history.

This is also the most written about even in American military history of all time.  Only the Battle of the Bulge and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor rival it, which shows what a major psychologic impact it had on American culture and historical memory.  There are, of course, a number of reasons for that which remain worth considering for a number of reasons.

To start off with the battle was, of course, a major shock at the time that it occurred, although it was no unprecedented.  Fetterman's detachment being wiped out on December 21, 1866 outside of Ft. Phil Carney provided an earlier example which its always temping to draw analogies too.  That particular battle, which resulted in the loss of 81 soldiers and armed civilians at the hands of some of the same combatants, and at the hands of the same tribes, actually had a more dire immediate effect on the survivors in that the post was so remote it was in serious danger of being overrun, had the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho bothered to attempt it, which they did not.  81 men, of course, is considerably less than 242.

A big part of the shock was due to the early press reporting.  In spite of the Fetterman Fight, the press and the public was not prepared for such a singular defeat at the hands of Plains Indians, even though Custer's detached command was considerably outnumbered at the time of the attack.  Custer was thought of as a real Indian Fighter, which he in fact was not, and the result was nearly inconceivable, resulting in a lot of fanciful speculation.  To add to this the surviving officers had a built in incentive not to be responsible for what occurred, and indeed in the 7th Cavalry's case, they really were not.  That didn't keep, however, some from trying to blame them just as Custer was elevated to an absolute hero.  As time went on it was fairly clear to the U.S. Army what had happened, even if it wasn't necessarily to civilian writers.  Early histories, moreover, assumed a level of knowledge about certain things, particularly horses, that later historians lacked, resulting in both of them omitting them.  All of this contributed to a sense of romantic mystery that endures to the present day.

Evan as that mystery has endured, however, Custer became a symbol for the entire American effort against the Native Americans, from 1620 through Wounded Knee, a fact that his peculiar character lent itself to.  Hated by many of his men, and detested by many of his fellow 7th Cavalry officers, he made a ready and easy scapegoat that further allowed some historians to assign personal blame to him for what occurred on this day in 1876.

In truth, what occurred at Little Big Horn is really obvious if a person is actually familiar with the conditions of frontier campaigning, which unfortunately many of the post 1930 or so historians have not been.

Alfred Terry had detached Custer's command on June 22, 1876, because it was a cavalry command and he needed a force to cover vast distances quickly.  Cavalry suited that purpose.  But even as it did, it was saddled with certain distinct limitations, the most pronounced being the very thing that gave it mobility, the horse.

American cavalrymen, like European cavalrymen, and the cavalrymen of ever modern army (and yes this was a modern army) assigned one mount per man.  Officers often had a second.  This was not, it might be noted, the historical norm.  Mongols, for example, had multiple mounts per man.  

In fact, Native Americans had multiple mounts per man.  And so did cowboys when working cattle, in spite of what the movies may have falsely told us.  The cowboy norm was seven mounts per man.  The Native American situation depended upon his personal wealth, often measured in horses, but to be an effective warrior he needed more than one.  Indeed, the entire culture of horse raiding is explained by this.

The reason for this is that horses "break down".  In a campaign, at first, this is not a factor.  But by June 21, 1876, when Custer's command was detached, his troopers, and their horses, had been in the field for weeks.  By that time the horses were undoubtedly fatigued.

Moreover, American cavalrymen were mounted on American Horses, big cavalry mounts that were strong and adept at covering ground, but also horses bread for more temperate conditions.  In the East, there was always plenty of feed, but that was not true in the West.  As a result, horses "broke down" quickly.  Once a mount "broke down", a cavalryman was converted into a foot soldier for the rest of the campaign, attached to the baggage train.

The Army was well aware of this problem and studied it constantly  One solution was to pick up local mounts, like those the Indians were using, and like those used by cowboy.  "Range horses" were really ponies, but were tough and acclimated to their conditions.  Like any horse, they would break down, but they'd endure much more than American Horses would.  In some commands cavalry units going West swapped out American Horses for Range Horses, much like Marines deploying to combat during part of the Vietnam War swapped their M16s for M14s.

The Army had also long attempted to address this by severely limiting the weight load of a horse.  Cavalrymen themselves were limited in height and weight.  They were short, generally not being taller than 5'6", and the were light, generally not weighing more than 140 lbs.  The McClellan saddle they used was very light weight.  They carried very little. Even at that, however, they were faced with the problem of horse fatigue.

Indeed, while cavalry was critical, the problems it faced were so severe that at one point one Army commander lobbied for only having infantry.  That was extreme, but it shows the difficulty that could exist.  In contrast, Crook routinely mounted his infantry on the pack trains mules, mounting them on the mules, a double tough animal that wasn't as fast as a horse, but which was faster than walking, and saved fatigue on the nervous infantryman.

On walking, cavalrymen walked a lot in order to save their horses.  This differed greatly from the native practice.  Natives in transit didn't walk at all.

The Cheyenne, Sioux and Arapaho, in contrast to the Army, had all Range Horses and large numbers of them.  This avoided the problems noted above, but in a camp of this size, it meant that they had to move every few days as they'd wipe out the forage.  Ultimately, they couldn't keep a camp this size together at all.

Custer's command spent the night of June 24 in the Wolf Mountains. At 3:00 a.m. his scouts climbed a peak called "the Crow's Nest" and at first light, 5:00 a.m. they sighted it.  It was 15 miles distant.  The 7th Cavalry started its advance on the camp at 8:00, an hour after Custer was informed of the camp's presence.  It took the 7th Cavalry four hours to cover the ground.  Once the command departed at 8:00, it was committed to action, albeit with no plan in place, as the risk of the natives detecting the dust of the huge  number of  horses was too great not to advance to conclusion.

At noon Custer's command had a good view of a portion of the camp and he divided his command, detailing Maj. Reno to hit what would have been the left flank, from his prospective.

This brings up a couple of things that need to be addressed in any discussion of the battle.  One thing is that there was no reconnaissance of the position being attacked whatsoever.  This probably isn't surprising, however, even though reconnaissance was a function of cavalry.  Once committed at 8, as noted, the command was committed and there was no choice but to go forward.

But was committing itself a mistake. Terry suggested, but did not command, that Custer wait for Gibbons and Terry to advance from the north.  The location of Terry and Gibbon, however, was completely unknown, and it was clear to all that a large camp would move.  Native camps, moreover, were notoriously able to move without being detected.  Custer had some justification for attacking when he could.  By the same token, however, shadowing the camp, was a bit of an option, although the longer the cavalry was nearby the greater the risk that it would be attacked itself.  Custer's decision, therefore, was not unreasonable.

Added to that, Custer did not really have very much experience in Indian warfare.  Nobody in the post Civil War Army did.  There had been men with vast frontier fighting experience n the Army prior to the Civil War, but the war had consumed them in one form or another, and  they were not the field commanders of the post Civil War Army.  Custer had campaigned against natives before, but those campaigns had been largely ineffectual with no trace of the natives being found. The exception was Washita in 1868 which had been a near disaster and a moral travesty.  

Custer had, of course, a lot of Civil War experience. Every officer in his command did. That, however, was not particularly useful on the plains.

The second part of this is that once the location of the camp was determined, Custer had a choice of hitting it from one side, with a unified command, or trying to effectively surround it, and hit from both sides.  He opted for that latter option.  In theory, that was a good decision, but it depended on the right flank being found and hit with no reconnaissance.  

Once the decision was made, it took from noon until 3:00 for Reno's troops to charge the village.  He hit alone, with Custer's command detached and its location unknow to Reno.  It's known now that Custer personally advanced down to the river several times to try to determine where to hit the Indian village, only to find that he was not yet on its edge.  It took Custer an hour to find a location to attempt to charge the camp.

All of this means that as this was occurring the entire command was mounted on horses that were fatigued to start with. During the last phase of the operation horses would have been kept at a fast gait the entire time.  From something like 2:30 until 4:00 every mount in the command was at a canter or faster.

Reno's charge immediately stalled out and he was forced to have his troops dismount and fight a defensive action from 3:00 to 3:40, at which point the survivors retreated in the hills, to be later joined by Benteen who was bringing up the pack train.  This means that Custer actually committed his command after Reno had already retreated.  The native camp covered an expanse of three miles. not a great distance, but a difficult one for cavalrymen because of it hilly terrain, where as the Sioux and Cheyenne were on the flat river bottom.   The native combatants, mounted on fresh mounts, were able to cover the distance from Reno's failed retreat to Custer's new charge in no time.  Reno in contrast was effectively immobilized, in spite of later criticism that he should have attempted to ride to Custer's aid.  In reality, he could not have and that would have resulted in the elimination of his command as well.

Custer's command was destroyed over a period of an hour, much longer than popularly imagined, with a huge volley of fire being heard at one point.  The last of his troops were overrun at about 5:30.  Native combatants thereafter drifted back to where Reno was to take potshots at his dug in troops.  They kept it up all the next day until they decamped and departed the night of June 26.

Last edition:

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Saturday, June 24, 1876. Custer marches into the Wolf Mountains, Terry starts down the Big Horn.

The 7th Cavalry halted at where Busby Montana presently is.  Knowing that the Sioux were somewhere in the vicinity, scouts were sent ahead to the Crow's Nest in the Wolf Mountains. The command then married a further fifteen miles at night towards the location.

Keeping in mind that sundown occurs in this region on this day at about 9:00 p.m., this means the already exhausted command was making a difficult night march.

Not all that far off, the Sioux/Cheyenne camp was holding the Dying Dancing Ceremony in which teenagers vowed to lose their lives in battle to defend the camp.

Terry's command was ferried to the southside of the Yellowstone near the mouth of the Big Horn to proceed up the river's valley with the goal of reaching the mouth of the Little Big Horn by June 26.  It was hoped that Custer's command would have maneuvered to the south of the camp by the 26, which was an approximate date, allowing the camp, which was known to exist somewhere in the area, to be trapped.  As it was, Custer had maneuvered to the southwest of the camp by the late night of the 25th.

Last edition:

Friday, June 23, 1876. Camp on the Rosebud.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

The 2026 Election, 11th Edition. The only good voting Indian is a disenfranchised voting Indian edition.

 


By https://www.facebook.com/eshoshonetribe/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61356655

Friends & Brothers, listen: Where you now are, you and my white children are too near to each other to live in harmony and peace. Your game is destroyed and many of your people will not work and till the Earth. Beyond the great river Mississippi, where a part of your nation has gone, your father has provided a country large enough for all of you, and he advises you to remove to it. There your white brothers will not trouble you; they will have no claim to the land, and you can live upon it, you and all your children, as long as the grass grows or the water runs, in peace and plenty. It will be yours for ever. For the improvements in the country where you now live, and for all the stock which you cannot take with you, your father will pay you a fair price.

Andrew Jackson, part of a letter to the Creek, 1829.  That sure didn't come true.

Chuck Gray, auditioning for the role of adoring political paramour to Donald Trump, his beloved and dearest, and thick in the throws of turning Wyoming's voter registration roles over to his dearest illegally, is now seeking to have the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision of Louisiana v. Callais applied.  In so doing, he's sent a demand to the Fremont County Commissioners to redistrict their county commissioner boundaries to wipe out a district that was designed to provide a commissioner from the Wind River Reservation, and he's written the Governor about the legislative districts, stating; "“I believe House District 33’s boundaries need to be examined to ensure compliance with Callais” .

Let's look first at what Callais actually says which few pundits have to date.  It's a long decision, so we'll only post part of it, but that part is where the Court made its decision:

So what that tells us is:

1.  A district must have a basis in more than race.

2.  The jerrymandering by race cannot have a demonstrable impact in favor of a political party.

3.  The totality of the circumstances must be considered.

Chuck, who loves Trump more than Trump loves Trump, has made a name for himself by being a divisive asshole and this will be no exception. The over monied little man who has never really worked likes to scream and howl, but this may prove to be a mistake in his bid for the House.  A large percentage of Wyomingites do not like him for variety of legitimate reasons, and he's been taking flak from the right from gadfly Reid Rasner, to which he's flop around like a fish on a deck trying to react to, and not very effectively.  Gray probably sees this action to terminate Native American districts on the Reservation as serving his far right nut case masters' cause of bringing back the Confederacy, but he's not a lawyer and disrupting Wyoming districts, ironically in one of the most conservative regions of the state, may not go well and is not likely to be appreciated.

There's a fair chance it might not succeeds as well.

Fremont County has a voting district for the county commission that causes it to have one commissioners who is drawn from the Wind River Reservation.  That was in fact the intent of the boundary.  And it has one House District that is also from the Reservation.  The legislator who is from that districts, HD33, is Ivan Posey, who is enrolled in the Eastern Shoshone Tribe but also also has Northern Cheyenne and Northern Arapaho ancestors.

Gray, of course, is a carpetbagging white rich unmarried white boy, but this fits right into the current MAGA effort that's disenfranchising minorities in a country that's on the verge of becoming a majority minority nation.  While they aren't willing to say it, MAGA basically hopes that they can reverse this demographic trend.

They can't, and they'll pay for it soon.

Here, Gray, who isn't a Wyomingite in the first place, likely doesn't grasp that the Wind River Reservation isn't solely an ethnic boundary, but the home to two sovereigns.  So there's a racial and sovereign divide here.  I suspect that these boundaries will hold up.

They already voted Democratic, they sure will in the future.  Gray's ordering the Fremont County Commission and Governor Gordon around may not sit well with the voters, and frankly they're likely to tell him to pound sand, in which case he'll sue, and try to disrupt the general election.  That won't work.

Gray needs to be sent packing.  He needs to find a real job for the first time in his life.  Let's hope he's offered one out on Wind River.

By Elders of the Arapaho Nation [2] - This W3C-unspecified vector image was created with Inkscape . based on photo and description here, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1031311

We will note here that the GOP race in Wyoming is turning batshit crazy with panicked Freedom Caucusers concerned that the South might not rise again while one notable one is actually attacking Donald Trump.  Hardcore WFC members are supporting Still Sucking On the Government Tit Bien.  While I may be imagining it, Bien seems to draw support from the less educated and poorer sections of the Wyoming population which demonstrates something peculiar, but I don't know what.  The more likely you are to economically and personally be hurt by Bien's world outlook of no social services and hardly pull yourself up by your bootstraps, while he sucks on the government tit, the more likely you are to support him.  

It's dumb.

Yesterday, of course, we have the oddity of Rebecca Bextel announcing a completely delusional and panicky run for the Governor's office on the Constitution Party ticket.  In a more sane political structure, all of the state's Cornfederates would be in that party.  Poor Bextel thinks she's a conservative, and has this on her website:
Like many of you, I know Megan Degenfelder or Brent Bien would make an excellent Governor! I sincerely hope one of them beats out Eric Barlow for the Republican nomination, but unfortunately, history is not on the side of us conservatives.

Well, that's just deluded, but it's typical of the Cornfederates who aren't conservatives or even Republicans, but think they are.  She's going to lose big and hopefully the WFC does in general, so they can go back to Sweet Home Alabama (where Bextel is actually from) and leave the West alone.


Go home Becky. . . the Southland is calling you.

cont:

And it looks like state legislators are beginning to see the pitchforks. . .South Carolina dropped its effort, Louisiana refused the map Trump wanted them to adopt., Mississippi decided to wait until 2027.

May 15, 2026

Bill Allemand, a complete and total no go on our list, is running for reelection to House District 58.  His DUI trial has not yet occurred.  He  faced opposition from Bar Nunn Mayor Peter Boyer as well as  Democrat.

J. R. Riggins is running for reelection in House District 59.  He faces opposition from the batshit carpetbagger far right.

Art Washut is running for reelection to House District 36.

May 16, 2026

Chuck Gray is being treated as sort of an irritating toddler, which he deserves.


Democrat  Kenneth R. Casner has announced his run for Governor.  He's 75 years old which puts him in the category of candidates who are too darned old to hold, yet alone run for, office.

May 17, 2026
Let me just set the record straight: Our country is not about one individual. It is about the welfare of all Americans and it is about our Constitution.  And if someone doesn’t understand that and attempts to control others through using the levers of power, they’re about serving themselves. They’re not about serving us. And that person is not qualified to be a leader.
Bill Cassidy after losing his bid to be reelected as a Senator from Louisiana.

May 19, 2026

Controversial former mayor of Evansville, Wyoming has announced she's running for Natrona County Commissioner.


May 20, 2026

The remaining influence of a demented octogenarian narcissist on the dwindling number of Republicans proved strong last night as Thomas Massie fell to a Trump paramour in Kentucky. Massie fell into Trump's ire principally as he wouldn't give up on the administration releasing the Epstein files.

A couple of lesson are applicable here, one being that the Epstein files must definitely contain something that Trump fears more than death itself, that his unhinged rage in his demented state is getting worse, and that the declining pool of Republican voters will be more and more hardcore members of MAGA.  Everyone else has left.  This will cause the GOP to race ever deeper into fascism and its remaining conservatives to increasingly leave the party intellectually, if not in fact.

Trump's replacing adoring sycophant is Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, increasing the military fascistic nature of the current GOP.

It's a tragedy for the nation in the short term.  In the long term, continued picks of fascistic toady's increases the chances of the MAGA being utterly destroyed in the Fall.

It'll also prove to be a tragedy for non MAGA views of Israel.  Piles of pro Israeli PAC money were spent in the race against Massie.  Public views are really changing towards Israel and to see groups that back Israel dedicating such an effort to get rid of an American Congressman doesn't help.  For people like myself, who have had a nuanced view on Israel for decades, it's now really impossible not to see the current Israeli government and the current American government in a highly negative light.  That's one thing, but anti semitism is really rising in the US and by now Muslim Americans have likely realized that supporting Trump in the last election was a massive mistake.

Massie won voters under 45 years of age by 30 points. . . that says something, and not something that the GOP will like in the future.  People hate it when you inject ageism into something, but there is a real "get off my lawn" element to current politics.

Locally, the Shoshone and Arapahoe tribes are clearly not going GOP this fall:

Tribal governments denounce Gray for ‘direct attack on Native voting

And as that what we started with, we'll conclude with that one.

And so we are rapidly finalizing the political landscape.  If you are black, Hispanic, Native American, Catholic, or Muslim, the GOP has no place for you.  If you would have voted for Strom Thurmond, it's your party.

Last edition:

The 2026 Election, 10th Edition. The Setting the stage for a Pyrrhic Victory edition.Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,