28TH-29TH-30TH SPECIAL EDITION WhereWhere HistorHistoryy ComesComes Alive!Alive! The Gyp Hill Premiere - Peace Treaty - September 28, 29, 30, 2018 2 Peace Treaty’s beginnings peace would be to separate the Treaty celebration has focused on Indians regarded as hostile from since the first reenactment in Making the friendly ones; remove all In- 1927. The treaties presented dian tribes onto reservations and hope to many that the white man to make provision for their main- and the Indian would be able to peace tenance. share the land and live in har- The Indian Peace Commission mony with one another. arrived at Fort Larned on Octo- Unfortunately, the treaties in 1867 ber 11, 1867 where a few chiefs were not honored by the Govern- By Doris Sorg were already present. At the in- ment or the Indians. Almost im- The Gyp Hill Premiere sistence of the tribes, the meet- mediately, the treaties became The conflict between the ings were moved from Larned to controversial and contested by white man and the Indians esca- Medicine Lodge Creek, a tradi- not only the leaders of most of lated after the Civil War when tional Indian ceremonial site. the tribes, but also the members. land-hungry settlers continued to The treaties negotiated at The treaties were to be ratified move westward encroaching Medicine Lodge Creek involved by three fourths of the adult upon tribal hunting grounds. the surrendering of traditional males of each of the tribes. Suf- The United States Govern- tribal territories in exchange for ficient votes were never obtained the much smaller reservation in so the treaties were never made Ccathy Colborn Photography Photo ment tried to separate the tribes Representatives of the Indian Peace Commission, soldiers and Indian and settlers from each other by Indian Territory and allowances valid or legal. Those years in his- creating an Indian Territory of food, clothing, equipment, and tory are filled with numerous in- Chiefs from five tribes met in October of 1867 at Medicine Lodge Creek, which is now present-day Okla- weapons and ammunition for stances when the Government a traditional Indian ceremonial site, to sign peace treaties between the homa. The Government’s inten- hunting. delayed food, equipment and Indians and the United States Government. tion was to remove the Indians The first treaty was signed on medical supplies which caused from the path of expansion in October 21, 1867 with the Kiowa sickness and starvation in the Apache tribes. The case was de- Conflicts and struggles were hopes of quieting the conflicts and Comanche tribes. The sec- tribes. The tribes broke the trea- cided on by the U.S. Supreme daily occurrences for the settlers caused by the meeting of two ond treaty, signed the same day, ties by continuing to raid the Court in 1903 with the decision and the Indians. The Peace cultures. was with the Kiowa and Apache white man. These raids were a being that Congress had the Treaty Pageant presents a rare The Indian Peace Commission tribes. The third treaty was result of the Indian’s anger power to make the decisions that opportunity for spectators wish- was established by Congress on signed a week later on October against the violations of the trea- were made. ing to catch a glimpse into the July 20, 1867. The purpose of 28 with the Southern Cheyenne ties by the U.S. Government and Beginning in 1948, the same past of some of the events that the Commission was to negoti- and Arapaho tribes. These trea- their struggle for survival during issues were challenged again. made up the foundation of our ate peace with the Plains Indian ties promised the tribes peace and starving conditions. Over the decades and through state and nation while sitting in tribes who were warring with the protection from white intruders As the years passed, more and several claims, the tribes won a natural amphitheater only a few United States. The Indian Peace in return for amity and relocation more acres were taken by the tens of millions of dollars in com- miles from the actual location of Commission met in St. Louis, to reservations in western Indian U.S. Government from the res- pensation from the Indian Claims the signing of the treaties. Missouri on August 6, 1867. The Territory. ervations. Chief Lone Wolf, of Commission. The re-enactment of the sign- Commissioners decided that the The signing of these three the Kiowa tribe, sued the Secre- Turmoil was mixed liberally ing of the treaties is 1 p.m. on Fri- necessary actions to establish treaties is the historical event tary of the Interior on behalf of throughout the history of the de- day, Sept. 28 and 2 p.m. on Sat- which the Medicine Lodge Peace the Kiowa, Comanche and velopment of the young nation. urday and Sunday, Sept. 29 & 30. 1927 Pageant dig- nitaries: L-R George and Mrs. Hibbard, Mrs. Hunt, General Small Town Justice _____, George Hunt (Nephew of I-See-0), General _____. Some of In the 1970’s, a local law the dignitaries firm consisting of Luke Barber were not able to Chapin, Gordon Penny and County be identified. Alan Goering launched mul- Courhouse 1867 tiple class action cases against some of the biggest oil and gas companies in the world, including Phillips Petroleum, Marathon Oil, Conoco and others. The lead case was titled Irl Shutts v. Phillips Petro- Peace Treaty: The product leum. Irl was a rancher from Sun City, Kansas. Irl was quite a character! He owned of a town working together producing royalties in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. 1927 Pageant Dignitaries daily mail. Irl learned that Phillips and other companies were The Formation of The The committee also pur- keeping royalties owed to landowners, sometimes Medicine Lodge Indian chased car banners and made for years and refused to pay interest on those royal- Peace Council Treaty Me- sure all cars in town had one, morial Association especially those that were go- ties. Irl said, “That’s not right.” In 1926, the newly formed ing to be traveling out of town. Irl’s attorneys filed a class action that represented Medicine Lodge Indian Peace Window stickers were pur- over 28,000 royalty owners. Other area residents filed Council Treaty Memorial As- chased, and every car that against other major companies, including Loyd sociation invited Kiowa Chief showed up in Medicine Lodge, I-See-O to Medicine Lodge to left with a Peace Treaty sticker Helmley, Martha Sternberger and Bob Sterling. locate the exact spot of the on its windshield. Every case was successfully concluded at the trial signing of the 1867 Peace There were a few difficul- level for the royalty owners. The oil companies ap- Treaty. I-See-O was 18 years ties along the way in planning pealed to the Kansas Supreme Court which also ruled old at the time of the Medicine the celebration. The city ap- Lodge Peace Council. He lo- plied for a government appro- for the royalty owners. Eventually, they even took cated the exact spot where the priation to pay for the Peace the case to the United States Supreme Court. Luke treaties were signed, one- Treaty monument, and was Chapin argued the case in the United States Supreme fourth to one-half mile south turned down. But this didn’t of Medicine Lodge just below stop the citizens of Medicine Court. In 1985, about ten years later, the verdict was where the Medicine River and Lodge. The Association asked upheld. Elm Creek intersect. Thus be- for donations from town busi- The oil companies that had kept and used the roy- gan plans for the first ever The Indian Peace Treaty Memo- nesses and organizations to alty owners’ money were forced to pay interest to Medicine Lodge Indian Peace rial stands at Main and First build the monument. Treaty Pageant. As time neared for the first tens of thousands of royalty owners from every state In August of 1926, just a first step in building the historic Indian Peace Treaty Pageant in the union and many foreign countries. little over a year before the Stockade Museum. They also (held on Oct. 12-14, 1927) the Big ideas can originate in small towns. A rancher’s pageant was to take place, the commissioned a monument to citizens of Medicine Lodge sense of right and wrong, determination to right that Association elected its first of- be built to commemorate the became more involved in ficers and directors. Among Peace Council. That monument preparations for the celebra- wrong led to a just result, which became the law of those elected were Mrs. now stands on the northeast cor- tion. The pageant, which was the land. George Hibbard, John C. Best, ner of First and Main Street, and written and directed by Profes- The law firm of Alan Goering and Bob Slinkard is Samuel Griffin, Joseph C. has been there for 67 years. sor F.L. Gilson of the State Hinshaw, Frank B. Chapin, Surprisingly, the Teacher’s College at Emporia, honored to fulfill those traditions and assure that jus- Sallie Woodward, J. Fueller Association’s organization that required the participation of tice applies equally to the ordinary citizen as it does Groom, Rachel Ann Nixon, first year was very much like it nearly every man, woman and to the rich and mighty, and doing what is right. George Hunt and Lillian Hunt. is today. Many of the commit- child in town. Mr. Best, owner of The Gyp- tees were the same, such as the Index Editor and Owner sum Company, was the first advertising committee and the J.C.