Black Kettle Character Analysis in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Lean Bear’s successor as leader of the Cheyennes. On the advice of William Bent, Black Kettle urged his people not to seek revenge through raids on white settlements. Convinced that the Cheyennes could never defeat the U.S. military, Black Kettle reluctantly agreed to cooperate with the government and relocate his followers away from their ancestral lands.

Black Kettle Character Timeline in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

The timeline below shows where the character Black Kettle appears in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...had given him. The soldiers opened fire on Lean Bear, killing him. Lean Bear’s second-in-command Black Kettle commanded his troops not to fire on the soldiers in order to avoid a war.... (full context)

Confused by the American troops’ actions, Black Kettle consulted with a man named William Bent. Bent was a white man, but he’d lived... (full context)

...white people, but he failed to mention the murder of Lean Bear. Following the statement, Black Kettle and other chiefs tried to control their people and prevent retaliation. William Bent’s son George... (full context)

Wynkoop read Black Kettle ’s letter and learned about the white prisoners on Cheyenne land. He decided to ride... (full context)

The next step was for Black Kettle and Edward Wynkoop to travel to Denver to make peace with Governor Evans. In Denver,... (full context)

...to demand that the Arapahos abandon their land. While Anthony did so, he also told Black Kettle that the Cheyennes were welcome to reside at Sand Creek, under the protection of Fort... (full context)

...Arapaho, and Sioux warriors raided supply routes, cutting off much of Denver’s food supply. However, Black Kettle refused to participate in the raids. He led four hundred followers southward while the majority... (full context)

Meanwhile, Black Kettle and a small group of Southern Cheyennes marched south to rejoin the Arapaho tribe. In... (full context)

During negotiations, government representatives told Black Kettle that gold had been discovered on Cheyenne lands. White settlers would come to the land... (full context)

...Nose led a group of soldiers, including Charlie Bent, to Fort Wallace, while another chief, Black Kettle , led a second group of soldiers, including George Bent. At Fort Wallace, Roman Nose... (full context)

...Hancock, though Hancock was angry that Roman Nose hadn’t agreed to meet personally. Hancock informed Black Kettle ’s men that he wanted to speak to all of Roman Nose’s followers. Roman Nose’s... (full context)

...September 27, Roman Nose arrived at Medicine Lodge Creek for peace arrangements. After October 16, Black Kettle , as well as representatives of the Arapahos, Comanches, Kiowas, and Prairie Apaches joined the... (full context)

Expansion and Manifest Destiny Theme Icon

Black Kettle had become the de facto leader of the surviving Cheyennes. He rode out to Fort... (full context)

Following the massacre, the survivors of Black Kettle ’s band arrived at Fort Cobb, begging for food. Yellow Bear, an Arapaho chief, also... (full context)