1. Chapter 17: Cultures in Conflict

2. Chapter Overview:
Examines the conflict between Native Americans and Anglo ranchers / farmers in West Texas

3. Chapter Sections
Section 1: Describes how Native Americans controlled West Texas after the Civil War.
Section 2: Explains how Native American culture was changed by the extermination of the buffalo and battles with U.S. Army / Texas Rangers.
Section 3: Describes the last Native American battles at the Rio Grande.

4. Section 1: West Texas After the Civil War
Native Americans Control the West:
By 1850, most Native Americans removed from Eastern half of Texas
However, settlers in West Texas lived under constant fear of raids

5. To stop the raids, federal troops stationed in West TX;
1. posts at Fredericksburg, Albany, San Angelo,
Fort Stockton, Fort Davis, El Paso
For awhile, the army was unable to stop the raids – WHY?

8. Army Disadvantages Not enough soldiers and untrained
Little/no experience fighting Native Americans
Forts built too far apart/
too far west to immediately
protect settlers
4. Shortages of food/supplies
forced the cancellation of
many army attack
campaigns

9. Native American Advantages
Knew the lands of West Texas very well
Skilled fighters
a) in the time it took to load a rifle or pistol (1 min), a skilled warrior could ride 200 yds and shoot 20 arrows
Plus, by 1870s, most
Native Americans
carried rifles, too

10. Treaty of Medicine Lodge Creek
1867 – federal agents met with tribal chiefs in (present-day) Kansas and signed treaty
Terms of the treaty:
Native Americans moved to reservations in Indian Territory (present-day Okla)
U.S. govt provide food/supplies
U.S. army not allowed on the reservations
Native Americans would STOP the raids on settlers.

11. Treaty (cont’d)
Generally believed that kind, fair treatment would stop Native Americans from raiding
Many Quakers served as Indian Agents
1. Quakers did not believe in violence
2. Lawrie Tatum – Quaker Indian Agent
who worked to educate Native Americans
in agriculture so they could earn living in
white man’s world

12. Medicine Lodge Treaty Fails
Many Native Americans refused to sign treaty – nearly one-half of Comanches, Kiowas
Claimed:
1. government broke promises made to
them;
2. cheated and mistreated them

13. Satanta – Kiowa Chief
Most famous Kiowa chief – excellent speaker (Orator of the Plains)
Wanted to preserve Kiowa way of life
Insisted that West TX belonged to Kiowas and Comanches
Believed his people could not survive very long on reservations

14. Other Chiefs Agree:
Lone Wolf
Lone Wolf – Kiowa chief who called for war against army/settlers (to avenge son’s death in army battle)
Ten Bears – Comanche chief who argued that people must be allowed to roam freely over TX plains
Quanah Parker – Comanche chief and son of Nocona and white woman, Cynthia Ann Parker; spent 10 years attacking/trying to run settlers out of TX
Quanah Parker
Ten Bears

15. Some Tribes Left
Kicking Bird and Striking Eagle – Kiowa chiefs who argued against war with army and advised people to accept the ways of the white man
Horseback – Comanche chief who moved his people to reservations.
Warfare between Native Americans and army troops / settlers increased and became much more serious!

16. A Kiowa drawing of a battle in West TX – possibly Red River campaign