“If they are hungry let them eat grass or their own dung.”
In the third chapter, the author mentions another tribe that suffered after it was relocated. The tribe was called Santee and the chief was conned into signing a peace treaty that forced them to relocate to a barren land where soon the tribe began to starve. When the chief asked the government officials for help, he received the answer from above. The quote from above shows just how little the government officials cared about the Indian tribes and that the Indians were perceived for the most part as being a burden instead of being valuable members of society.
“The bad men on both sides brought about this trouble.”
Black Kettle was a Cheyenne leader who tried to make sure that his people did not get into conflict with the white settlers. When white soldiers opened fire on the Indian troops, Black Kettle ordered them to remain put to avoid starting another war. Unfortunately some men refused to listen to him and as a result some white men and soldiers were killed in the process. For years, Black Kettle tried to control his people and make sure that they do not cause any trouble but despite his best efforts, he was still accused of crimes he did not commit. After he tried to negotiate with the Governor, Black Kettle uttered the words from above, letting it be understood that while he wanted his people and the white men to live in peace, there were people on both sides for whom war and conflict was more profitable and who would always resist change for the simple fact that they are "bad’’.
“The only good Indians I ever saw were dead.”
The U.S. generals broke the peace treaties signed with the Indians time and time again. The generals failed to provide the Indians with the things they were promised in the treaties and they did not cared weather the Indians survived or not. What is more, the generals plotted to exterminate the Indians by killing them and starving them. When an Indian chief went to ask for help, he was turned down even though he made everything he could to respect the treaty and even though the chief in question did everything he could not to anger the generals. When the chief told the general that he was a good Indian, meaning that he did no harm to the US soldiers, the general responded with the quote from above. This transmits the idea that no matter what the Indians did, for the generals it was never enough. They were happy only when the Indians were all dead.
