The Vanishing Race: The Last Great Indian Council

In Short

This book serves as both a historical record and a photographic elegy, capturing the gathering of eminent tribal chiefs from across the United States in a final, symbolic council. Through interviews, folklore, and striking portraiture, it documents the memories of men who lived through the transition from traditional nomadic life to reservation confinement. It endures as a primary window into the personal philosophies, war experiences, and reflections of these leaders, offering a somber, firsthand account of the end of the Indian Wars and the cultural shifts that followed.

The Story

The narrative begins with an ambitious, solemn undertaking: to bring together the aging leaders of various Indian nations for one last grand council, an act intended to preserve the memory of a culture on the verge of fading. The setting is the vast American plains, specifically the Little Bighorn battlefield, a site heavy with the ghosts of the past. Here, former enemies—men who once fought one another and the United States government—gather as brothers, united by the mutual recognition that their era of sovereignty has reached its twilight.

The arc of the book is structured as a journey through the collective memory of these men. They reflect on their youth, the importance of the "coup stick" as a badge of honor and bravery, and the complex spiritual life that governed every aspect of their existence. The story moves from the exhilaration of the buffalo hunt and tribal warfare to the quiet, often painful realities of reservation life. These leaders speak candidly about the government's role in their displacement, the loss of their children to disease in schools, and their struggle to reconcile traditional beliefs with the necessity of survival in a changing landscape.

A pivotal section centers on the "Custer fight." Through the accounts of Cheyenne and Sioux chiefs, as well as the Crow scouts who served the U.S. Army, the narrative deconstructs the battle from the viewpoint of those who lived it. It is not presented as a simple heroic victory or defeat, but as a complex clash of worlds. The scouts, in particular, reveal the difficult loyalties they navigated, torn between their commitment to their own land and their alliance with the American military, which they hoped would secure their future.

The story concludes with the council itself. As the chiefs share food, smoke the pipe of peace, and offer farewells, the mood shifts from retrospective sorrow to a final, dignified acceptance of their status as representatives of a "vanishing race." The book ends with a series of speeches in which the chiefs acknowledge that they will never meet again. These final words serve as a testament to their resilience and their desire for their descendants to thrive in the new world, even while they mourn the irreparable loss of the customs, language, and landscapes that once defined their lives.

How It Unfolds

The gathering of the chiefs The author brings together leaders from across the country to a neutral, historically resonant location to document their stories and traditions before the last of these warriors passes away. This stage establishes the solemn, archival nature of the project.

Reflections on the old ways The narrative turns to the interior life of the Indian, detailing the profound significance of the coup stick, the role of folklore in passing down history, and the deep, mystical connection the warriors maintained with the natural world.

The battle revisited The focus narrows to the conflict at Little Bighorn, where opposing sides share their firsthand experiences of the engagement. The accounts provided by both the Cheyenne leaders and the Crow scouts offer a nuanced, dual perspective on the tactical and emotional realities of that day.

The final council and farewell The book culminates in the formal proceedings of the council, where the chiefs exchange final messages of peace and brotherhood. This segment emphasizes the transition from active warriors to elder statesmen witnessing the end of an epoch.

The People

The book centers on figures like Chief Plenty Coups, the Crow leader, who acts as a gracious host for the council. He is a man of immense dignity who committed his life to peace after the government mandated an end to inter-tribal warfare. He remains deeply concerned with ensuring his people find a voice in Washington.

Chief Two Moons, a Cheyenne warrior, provides a vivid, visceral account of the fighting at Little Bighorn. He is portrayed as a man who has reconciled his violent past with his present role as a survivor, finding a sense of youthful purpose in the act of telling his story for future generations.

Runs-the-Enemy, a Sioux chief, offers a more somber perspective, detailing the heartbreak of losing his children to disease after sending them to government schools. His story highlights the personal cost of the government's "civilizing" programs.

White-Man-Runs-Him, a Custer scout, represents the complex position of the indigenous allies. He explains his loyalty to the U.S. military as a desperate, logical attempt to protect his tribe’s land from encroachment by his traditional enemies, the Sioux and Cheyenne.

In Its Own Voice

"The life of the Indian is one vast and glittering mosaic of rite and ritual."

This passage opens the author's exploration of the complex religious and ceremonial life that defined the Indian experience.

"The soldiers were the same as though they were blind, and I used both of my own eyes for them."

White-Man-Runs-Him describes his vital role as a scout for the U.S. Army, highlighting the reliance the military had on native knowledge of the terrain.

"We have assembled here to-day as chiefs from all over the land; we eat the bread and meat together, we smoke the pipe of peace, and we shake the hand of peace."

Red Cloud, the Ogallalla Sioux chief, captures the spirit of the final council, emphasizing the unity forged among former enemies.

What It's Really About

At its core, this work is an inquiry into the nature of memory and the preservation of cultural identity under the pressure of total displacement. It interrogates the cost of progress, questioning whether the forced assimilation and loss of tradition were the only possible paths for the American Indian. The book argues that the indigenous experience is not merely a footnote to American history, but a profound, coherent worldview that deserves respect. It poses difficult questions about the moral weight of the government's actions, while simultaneously documenting the quiet, stoic dignity of the men who survived the collapse of their civilization.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of the American West will find this an essential, if difficult, primary source. The book is not a modern academic study; it carries the heavy, often overly sentimental "noble savage" rhetoric common in 1913. A modern reader must be prepared for the author's dramatic, often elegiac tone, which frames the subjects as figures of a dying past rather than members of a living, evolving culture. However, the value of the book lies in the interviews themselves. When the chiefs speak, the period bias falls away, replaced by the sharp, clear, and often devastatingly honest voices of men who lived through one of the most volatile centuries in American history. It is a haunting read that feels less like a historical textbook and more like a collection of final testimonies. The photographs, which capture the faces and the weariness of the chiefs, are particularly arresting. It is a challenging, sometimes uncomfortable experience, but one that provides a deeply human perspective on the end of the frontier, making it a necessary read for anyone looking to look past the myths of the West and into the eyes of those who truly shaped it.