Tomahawk

This is the Territory of Wyoming

the year 1866.

On this soft sunlit day

of early Summer,

men of two different worlds

have come together to talk.

There is bitterness,

suspicion and distrust.

You remember your friends and

loved ones who have been killed.

You've seen the bones of

settlers on the trail

and the bleached ribs

of their wagons.

And still they come, pushing West

with a vision.

A vision of farm and town

on land they can call their own.

They come to reclaim the

wilderness under your protection:

the Army of the United States.

And in your hearts and minds

there is also bitterness and hate

because you also

have a vision

of sacred hunting grounds

silent and empty

of buffalo, elk and beaver.

Your food, clothing and shelter

vanished forever.

Of starvation and sickness

where once there was plenty.

This is the Laramie Conference

a powder keg that may

explode at any moment.

It would take little

to light the fuse.

There are important

and powerful men here.

On one side,

The leaders of the Sioux Nations.

On the other side,

representatives of the US.

On this day, it will take

a great man to see both sides.

Jim Bridger, pioneer,

trapper and scout

is such a man!

If I remember right this is the

4th time the American government

has talked treaty with the Sioux.

The first treaty pushed the Sioux

back into Wyoming,

then we pushed him back further.

Last year we shoved him back

some more into the river basin,

in the country east

of the Big Horns.

That was supposed to be final.

Mr. Bridger, we're not discussing

previous treaties.

I am Mr. Davis.

I'm sorry but I am talking

previous treaties.

I rode over 200 miles to say my say

and it'll get said my way.

You're planning to build a road

over a trail Bozeman mapped out

that runs through the middle of

the Sioux's last hunting lands.

Gold has been discovered in Montana.

Thousands of people are waiting.

But if wagons and troops start

moving up that road,

that's the end of the buffalo

in Wyoming,

and that's the end of the Sioux.

The buffalo means everything

to these people. Their food,

their clothing, skin for tipis,

bones for weapons.

We've been told it's

the only feasible route.

You've been told wrong Mr. Davis.

Last year Bozeman and

I ran a race with wagons.

He went over his trail, I over

one they call the Bridger trail

west of the Big Horns,

outside Sioux Territory.

34 days to get to Virginia City,

just two days longer than Bozeman.

If we want peace with these

Indians it'll cost us something.

The Sioux has already paid plenty

we can pay 2 days extra travel.

Sounds feasible.

- Now we'II...

- One moment gentlemen.

Before you're swept off your feet

you should consider

where Mr. Bridger's sympathies lie.

Monahseetah is Cheyenne.

She's from Kansas.

The Powder River country

is of no concern to her.

But she is of great concern to you.

And your friend Sol Beckworth,

hasn't he lived among Indians?

Chief Two Bears asks,

if no one will listen to Bridger,

will they listen to anyone else?

The purpose of this conference

is to reach an agreement.

Tell him we're here

in all good faith to...

In all good faith?

That the American Cavalry's

been ordered to build a fort

above the Powder River?

Are Col. Carrington and his men

here to prove your good faith?

- Who told you?

- Mr. Bridger,

one of these chiefs

may know English.

I am Sioux Chief.

I am called Makhpiya Luta,

which means "Red Cloud".

I understand and speak your language.

I understand even

what you do not say.

We certainly didn't expect

to keep the fort a secret.

No, we would have learned of it

after we signed the Treaty.

See this warrior of

the Great White Father.

You pretend to parley with us

for a road through our lands,

but soldiers are here to steal

a road before we say yes or no.

- What did he say?

- What did he say Mr. Bridger?

He said the white man's promises

are written in water.

In other words, he said

you're a pack of liars

and this peace conference is a fake.

- Does this mean they'll fight?

- Not exactly.

Though the Sioux have been betrayed

Red Cloud said they want peace.

- But if war is forced on them...

- Forced? Meaning the Fort?

No, you can put through your road

and you can fortify it,

but if one white man kills one Indian,

that road's gonna come

unraveled in your face.

Jim! Beckworth!

Jim, how did you know

about the fort?

We put a few rumors together.

They didn't order your outfit

out of Kansas for nothing.

- How many going altogether?

- One cavalry troop,

a squad from the Quartermasters,

four officer's wives including

Mrs. Carrington and six young ones.

Don't you know Red Cloud has

the whole Sioux Nation under him?

- The Oglalas, the Brules...

- 4,000 fighting men easy.

It's not a military expedition.

We're going to maintain a fort.

We'll provide escort for wagons,

carry mail and things like that.

I still need good scouts.

- What about you two?

- I'm through scouting for the Army.

Can't make a living at it.

Five dollars a day and your keep?

Five dollars? It'll cost you more

for whiskey to drown the boredom.

Beck's afraid I'll back out

on our fur trading deal.

We're expecting a lot of

Indian villages this year.

Why not join us later?

Fur trading's pretty slow

by the middle of summer.

Sergeant, get those wagons rolling.

- You know the Lieutenant?

- No.

Monahseetah likes his horse.

He's Lt. Rob Dancy,

just been transferred to my command.

- About that scouting job...

- Well if you can't, you can't.

I don't want to let Beck down but...

Chances are we wouldn't do any

trading from June to the first snow,

I think we could join you

by midsummer.

Good.

Exactly where is the fort

going to be?

Say this is where we are

just west of Fort Laramie here.

The North Platte runs here,

Bozeman's trail is here

and the Powder River

branches off here...

- Never seen skin like this year.

- The cold winter that did it.

No, Beck, let it go.

He's drunk.

You ought not let that buck

get away with that Jim.

- Now he thinks you're scared.

- Let him think.

Now is no time to start a fight.

All battened down Jim.

It's good you showed no anger,

Tachahngpe.

Sit down.

Not one of our chiefs

signed the treaty.

Yet the fort has been built

and my young men are angry.

I know but for the sake of your people

you must keep them from war.

Today there are a hundred soldiers,

tomorrow there'll be thousands.

You can't hold back a flood.

But if something happens,

if blood is shed on the road,

I may have to go to war.

I see what lies ahead.

I would teach my people to change

from the ways we have lived

and to learn the ways

of the white man,

if the white man would

only give us time.

They push us too fast.

What is it Corporal?

I been telling him there's nothing

from here to Virginia City

except the fort and Indians.

He should wait until more

wagons come along.

You didn't say how long

that might be?

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