“For Native Americans, the prospect of defending their land, languages, and livelihoods in the face of American colonization was an impossible task. The U.S. negotiated over 400 treaties with Native American nations. And the U.S. government broke every single one.
Hole in the Day saw it coming. He was not naive about the power of the United States or its ambitions. He had negotiated for the best interests of his people at treaty councils in Washington since 1847. He knew that standing on principle, fighting for justice, and being kind and accommodating would fail. Hole in the Day embarked on a different path, and the results were mixed…”