Great Horse Creek Treaty Pilgrimage

On April 21, 511 a.c. (after columbus, a.k.a. “2003”), Kimimila Waci Win, Scott Barta, and Cassandra Fish visited the exact location of the historic signing of the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie. The 1851 Treaty is known to the Nakota (misnomer “Sioux”) as the place where the “Treaty of Long Meadows” was signed and to the Cheyenne as the site of “The Great Horse Creek Treaty” signing. The 1851 Treaty was agreed upon between eight Indigenous Red Nations and the United States government on September 17, 1851.

Over 50 thousand (and some estimate 100 thousand) Indigenous Red Peoples of the Crow, Hidatsa, Mandan, Arikara, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Nakota, DaNakota, Dakota and Lakota Nations camped for three weeks in order to secure the 1851 Treaty, an internationally legal, binding document, which is still valid today - although violated daily by u.s. government officials.

The 1851 Treaty was the last to be agreed to by a “Council of the People”, of each and every community of each nation signatory to it. The Treaty defined and protected their ancient homelands and allowed the u.s. to build roads across Indigenous lands. It guaranteed forever the right of these nations to hunt, gather, travel and live wherever they had previously upon Great Turtle Island (the “western hemisphere”).

During the Treaty gathering, which began on September 1st, 1851, the immense encampment had to move it’s location three times from near the actual Fort Laramie, east down the Platte River to the site where the Treaty document was finally agreed upon on September 17th - at the confluence of the Platte River and Horse Creek (near present day “Morrill, Nebraska”).

“This place is awesome!” Said Kimimila upon arriving at the place where the two rivers meet. “It would be great to preserve the site so that people could come here and see and feel the beauty, power, and balance in the energy this area gives off; all people should make this important journey,” she continued.

Kimimila Waci Win (“Dancing Butterfly Woman”), is a direct descendent of the famous Hehaka Wanbli “Eagle Elk”, who was a Chief Spokesperson of a community encampment of the Brule “Rosebud Lakota” and relative of Tasunke Witko “Crazy Horse”. Eagle Elk was one of the eight men who cared for the body of Tasunke Witko just after he was assassinated by u.s. government agents in 1877. He and the other men took Crazy Horse’s remains to a secure location so that his body would not be disturbed or exploited by the government, tourists, or scientists.

Scott Barta, Kimimila’s father is a founder of the “1851 Treaty Alliance” and is a board member of the “Morning Glory Foundation”, a non-profit organization promoting the preservation of Indigenous Way of Life through Indigenous dancing, singing, archery and sign language.

Walking along the banks of Horse Creek, large fish were seen spawning in the clear creek water. Geese and ducks splashed happily in the waters of the Platte and Horse Creek.

“The campsite is remarkably beautiful, you can see how it ended up being the location for such a magnificent occurrence”, said Barta.

The sacred White Buffalo Calf Canunpa (misnomer “peace pipe”) of the Nakota Nation was present during the 1851 Treaty signing, as well as the Sacred Arrows of the Cheyenne and the Sacred Bundles of each of the other Nations present.

The ancient Indigenous manner of governing dictated the process by which the 1851 Treaty itself was created. The Treaty was approved by “Oyate Omniciye”- the circle meetings of the men and women from each camp and each community of each of the signatory Indigenous Red Nations - true democracy. The process of the 1851 Treaty represents one of the last times that real, original, female-inclusive “democracy” was practiced in what is now called the “United States”.

It is hoped that the land can be granted or purchased from current “owners” so that a historic landmark, which recognizes such a great place in history, can be forever preserved, easily accessed, pilgrimaged to, and that the true story of the world’s largest, most powerful Indigenous Treaty can be shared with all who come.

Trillions of dollars in gold and resources were and are exploited from 1851 Treaty Nation Homelands – yet the Indigenous Peoples remain oppressed and poor. Often, Indigenous peoples are unaware of their own true history and rights, such as the ones afforded in the great 1851 Horse Creek Treaty. Preserving this area and recognizing that there are no broken, but violated Treaties will create the awareness needed to insure the redevelopment of thriving Indigenous Red Nations once again.

In Unity To Protect Grand Mother Earth!

This year’s annual pilgrimage to the sacred Medicine Circle (misnomer “Medicine Wheel”) in the Big Horn, Black Hills Mountains, 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie Territories began at Fort Robinson, NE, the site of the 1877 assassination by u.s. government agents of Tasunke Witko “Crazy Horse”. Tasunke Witko was tricked into negotiations with government agents who promised the He Sapa “Black Jagged-Rocky-Mountains” as refuge to him and his community if he came into the fort to talk with government officials. When Tasunke Witko entered the Fort, he was immediately grabbed and, as he was being forced into a jail cell, an agent rammed Tasunke Witko through the back with a rifle bayonet, fatally wounding him.

Eagle Elk and seven other men, along with immediate family, friends and relatives then led Tasunke Witko to his final resting place – a secret to this day because of exploitation and desecration of Indigenous remains by americans.

At Fort Robinson – 127 years after the murder of Crazy Horse – his grandchildren continue to honor the life of possibly the greatest protector of his people the world has ever seen.
During the first part of this year’s journey, the sacred Peji Hota (“Sage”) was gathered at its most powerful, appropriate time - just before Summer Solstice and Sun Dance. This year the sacred “Grey Medicine” was plentiful and healthy!

While picking it, careful to leave the root system intact, five Big Horn Sheep appeared on the horizon. On the way to the picking site, many Ptehcaka (bison) were seen along with their newly born calves rolling on the ground and jumping and playing happily, content that the white man’s slaughter of the sacred animal has come to a lull.

The beautiful area and excellent camping site around the Fort Robinson area was once home to the “hang-around-the-fort” Indian encampment also, a reminder of the genocide and oppression committed against the weaker Lakota who lacked the will to defend themselves under immense European pressure to relinquish their homelands.

Following the sage picking ceremony there, the journey continued to Thermopolis “hot springs”, a sacred mineral hot springs area located in occupied “central Wyoming” currently commercialized by u.s. occupation forces and citizenry. One “resort” found excellent sunning and bathing for weary sage pickers and solstice travelers who enjoyed the sacred waters, despite commercialization.
The next day a camp was set up near a remarkable and very loud phenomenon called “Sinks Canyon”, where a mountain river disappears into the canyon wall – only to come out over a quarter mile down the canyon (two hours later), appearing as a calm pool with giant trout calmly swimming about and then continuing down the canyon as a gushing mountain stream.

A hike through the canyon revealed a most beautiful section of Rocky Mountain splendor. Driving the next day to an Indian owned and operated Indigenous gift shop found much excellent and plentiful beaded works for sale in the town of “Lander”, near the Wind River Indian Reservation, home to the Shoshoni and Arapaho Indigenous Nations, signatory to the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie. It was discovered that there are more horses on the reservation and surrounding county than in the entire state of Nebraska and that the Arapaho raise the finest cow horses in the world and are very successful at it.

The hot springs site near Ft. Washakie and Ethete is somewhat undeveloped, although a more natural pristine watering hole would be really nice, versus a commercial-type facility. It was decided that an open area with grass and trees would be the most appropriate.

Traveling on to “Paint Rock Lake Campsite” found the area to be in late spring mode, instead of last year’s blossoming, lush condition.

Camp was set up at “Dead Swede’s Campground” near the confluence of the famous east and west Tongue Rivers. The site was a perfect refuge for Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull when u.s. military and service people scoured 1851 Treaty sites around the He Sapa searching for the freedom loving Lakota holdouts. The Tongue features many moose, deer and plenty of trout, with grassy valleys and the most pristine campgrounds in the world.

Two and a half days were spent hiking and basking in the Big Horn sun while enjoying the lush splendor of the most beautiful of 1851 Treaty Homelands.

During Summer Solstice a Canunpa Ceremony was conducted at the Sacred Medicine Circle in thanksgiving to the Sun, which begins the journey south once again to shorten the long, hot days. Snow continues to sit upon the mountaintops near the Circle, evidence of the last spring, which sanctified the area.

The final leg of the solstice pilgrimage led to the birthplace of Tasunke Witko – Mni Luzahan (misnomer “Rapid City, S.D.”) to pick the sacred Pejuta Hota, completing the solstice circle in fine fashion. Offering tobacco for the sage at the birth and death places of the greatest Indigenous man was quite a thrill and honor for all.

A somewhat disheartening aspect of the journey was viewing the long coal trains stealing and exploiting Indigenous resources and heading to european american cities for purposes of greed – while Indigenous Nations and Peoples receive nothing but racism and ignorance against them in ‘history books’ and biased ‘media’. Also frustrating was witnessing the logging and cattle grazing in the sacred He Sapa, as well as the sale of the Sacred Red Stone (misnomer “Pipestone”) in gift shops and stores throughout Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. As is known, the limited supply of Indigenous Red Stone, which is found only upon Ihanktunwan DaNakota (Yankton Dakota) homelands, present day “Pipestone, MN”, is solely for the purpose of individuals making the sacred Canunpa (misnomer “peace pipe”) in order to conduct the Seven Sacred Ceremonies for Indigenous communities – not for decoration, wall-hangings, jewelry or art.

Next year, the Solstice Pilgrimage will interested to see whether spring has stayed longer in the Big Horns, or left and made way to the blooming mountain grasses and flowers.