The Sioux: The Two Fort Laramie Treaty

The Sioux, under the direction of Red Cloud, retaliated by attacking the troops stationed in these forts relentlessly until the U.S. signed the second Fort Laramie treaty in 1868 which once again recognized Lakota sovereignty and national territoriality as well as creating the Great Sioux Reservation encompassing the majority of South Dakota. The treaty also stipulated that U.S. troops were to prevent non-Indians from trespassing into Lakota territory. However, one such trespasser found gold in the Black Hills and the U.S. government promptly dispatched the 7th cavalry to the area who corroborated the presence of this prized commodity and violated both treaties in one stroke (Churchill,
1990).