"Wild and Intractable:" The Buchanan Administration & Native Americans
Conflicts between Native Tribes were not good for the government, white emigration, or transportation across US. A treaty would be beneficial to all parties (Part 2 of 2)
By LancasterHistory
By Carsten Brodbeck, LancasterHistory Intern
Traveling to Washington
In 1857, six Ponca Chiefs (Tah-tung-ga-no-shi, Shu-kob-bi, Esh-nung-i-kug-gah, Wah-gah-sah pi, Gish-tah-wah-gu, and Wash-komme-ni) journied to Washington, DC to meet with President Buchanan. The Chiefs traveled through Iowa, Chicago, and Buffalo before reaching Washington.
Ponca Chiefs at the White House (1865) by Brady-Handy photograph collection (Library of Congress)LancasterHistory
Worlds Collide
Altogether sixteen Pawnee, six Ponca, and nine Potawatomi members were present. Contemporary US newspapers described the Native Peoples as being in awe of Buchanan, their “Great Father.” There is no evidence the Chiefs thought this in actuality.
On the Southern Plains (1907) by Frederic RemingtonThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
Condescension
When the Ponca arrived in Washington, they were met with condescending speeches. General Robertson called the Ponca "my children" and informed them that they would be meeting with their "Great Father." Robertson told the Ponca to heed the advice of their "father in Washington."
Secretary Mix's Message
Next to speak was the Secretary of Indian Affairs, Charles Mix. He reminded the Ponca that "you are here on the invitation of your Great Father" to "benefit your condition." Mix then told the Ponca to adopt the "white brother's...manner of living."
Ponca Chiefs Meeting the President (1858)LancasterHistory
The Words of Chief Iron Whip
In February, Chief Iron Whip of the Ponca Nation spoke eloquently to President James Buchanan. "We are the children of God as much as you are," he declared. He said that America "once belonged to our fathers." Looking to Buchanan, Iron Whip stated "you are a man and so am I."
The First Lady
Despite the hostile attitude of the Buchanan administration, First Lady Harriet Lane was sympathetic towards Native Americans. The President's niece appreciated Indigenous arts and culture. Lane was an early advocate for improved medicine and living conditions on reservations.
True Motivations
Despite their insistence that they were acting with only the well-being of Native Peoples in mind, the US Government was mostly motivated by the opportunity to gain land. The Ponca possessed 2.3 million acres of land, and the Buchanan Administration wanted all of it.
The 1858 Treaty and Its Consequences
After negotiations, the Ponca signed a treaty with the US government, ceding all of their current lands to the United States in return for American military and legal protection. The treaty protected the exposed Ponca Nation, but at a cost: their sovereignty.
A Difficult Choice
Why did the Ponca agree to a treaty that was so stacked against them? By 1858 the Ponca were in a truly dire position: they were surrounded by white settlers and hostile Native nations pushed onto the Great Plains by U.S. policy. U.S. expansionism forced the Ponca's hand.
James Buchanan Peace Medal (1857)LancasterHistory
Commemorating the Treaty
Conversely, the treaty with the Ponca nation was a diplomatic victory for the United States. The Ponca ceded their land and sovereignty to the US. In commemoration of the treaty, the United States minted a Peace medallion with the words "Labor, Virtue, Honor."
[A Pawnee Village] (about 1871) by William Henry JacksonThe J. Paul Getty Museum
The Fate of the Pawnee and Potawatomi
A 1857 treaty restricted the Pawnee Nation to life on a reservation and introduced mandatory education to culturally assimilate them. The Potawatomi signed a treaty in 1861 that ceded a significant portion of their land to the US government.
Short Lived
The 1858 Treaty was supposed to protect the Ponca's land. Ten years later, however, the US gave the land to the Sioux Nation in the Treaty of Fort Laramie. The Sioux despised the Ponca even more than the Pawnee, creating even more tension among tribes.
Legacy
The 1858 Treaty between the Buchanan Administration and the Ponca is representative of US Indian policy. The United States benefitted greatly from the treaties and had no incentive to enforce them, creating a legacy of hardship for the Native Peoples of the Midwest.
Visit LancasterHistory to learn more about President James Buchanan and plan your visit to President James Buchanan's Wheatland.
Special thanks to The Hershey Story for permission to use images of artifacts.
Information found in:
"The Ponca Tribe" by James H. Howard and Peter LeClaire.
"An Aboriginal Party" from the Buffalo Courier.
"Limited History of the Ponca" by the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma.
"The Indian Delegations" from The Washington Union.
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