Black Kettle : The Cheyenne Chief Who Sought Peace but Found War
Hatch, a former reporter, offers a fresh and comprehensive reassessment of Black Kettle, a charismatic nineteenth-century Cheyenne chief who advocated for peace with white Americans. A member of the Bowstring Society (a warrior caste), Black Kettle negotiated for tribal land protection and lessons in farming. Why did this particular warrior recognize that peace was the only way for his people to survive? Hatch tentatively suggests that Black Kettle regarded himself as a prophet and was motivated by more than military concerns. In spite of repeated betrayals by the U.S. Army--including the 1864 massacre at Sand Creek, in which one-third of Black Kettle's group were killed--the elder statesman continued to pursue a nonviolent compromise. But in 1868 Black Kettle and many of his fellow villagers were killed by George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry in the Washita River massacre. Although not as skillfully written as titles by Dee Brown, this biography is a welcome addition to studies of the American West.Rebecca MakselCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved