Soileau: Chief Dull-Knife/Portraits Of A

Description

Dull Knife, also known as Morning Star, was an outstanding leader of the Northern Cheyenne. Born in Montana between 1810 and 1820, Dull Knife favored peace until Chivington's massacre of Black Kettle's Cheyenne at Sand Creek in 1864. He led the Cheyenne in one of the main attacks against Captain Fetterman, December 21, 1866. On May 10, 1868, however, he signed the Fort Laramie Treaty, agreeing tokeep his people on one of the reservations assigned to the Sioux. The Cheyenne,however, preferred their old way of life, and Dull Knife became an ally of Sitting Bull, who also opposed reservations. He participated in the victory over Custer on June 25, 1876, but on November 25 his camp on Powder River was attacked by Colonel Ronald McKenzie. Dull Knife was forced to surrender, and he and his people were marched overland to Indian Territory. After months of hunger, homesickness, and deaths from disease, Dull Knife and Little Wolf led about three hundred of them northward. After crossing the North Platte, the Cheyenne divided, somefollowing Dull Knife to Fort Robinson. Instead of allowing Dull Knife to go to a Sioux reservation, the Army informed him that he would be returned to Indian Territory. On January 9, 1879, during an attempt to escape, about one third of the Cheyenne were killed. With a small party of survivors, Dull Knife finally reached Red Cloud's agency. Not until many months later, after the Northern Cheyennewere given a reservation in Montana, did Dull Knife see his homeland again.