Kansas' own Medicine Lodge Indian Peace Treaty Pageant on September 23, 24 and 25 commemorates the great Peace Council of 1867 between the U.S. Government and the proud civilization of the Plains Indians: Apache • Arapaho • Cheyenne • Comanche • Kiowa.
The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty re-enactment compresses 300 years of history into two hours of entertainment and education. Set against the panoramic backdrop of the timeless “Red Hills” and the Kansas sky, the Pageant commemorates the diverse cultures of the “Discoverers, Explorers, and Settlers” mixed with the Native peoples of the Central Plains.
In a natural amphitheater, near the actual site of the council where the Medicine River (named by the Kiowa for its medicinal waters) and Elm Creek flow together, the re-enactment takes place, and peace will come with time to the prairie.
The Pageant is an invitation to watch history unfold: the Spanish Discovery with Coronado; Lewis and Clark and Zebulon Pike come alive on the prairie, and now the natives are unsure of their place in their homelands. The settlers were moving West and thoughts of railroads were in the future. Not all were peaceful journeys in the covered wagons, and sometimes, the cavalry would rescue the settlers in an Indian attack. The longhorn cattle drive is another colorful scene.
The community of Medicine Lodge transforms into a frontier town, with parades and the Medicine Lodge Historical Night show, which re-enacts the Bank Robbery that took place in the1880’s, and Carry Nation who loved to smash saloons and any place that sold the “Demon Rum!” The setting for the Pageant and the entire celebration is wrapped in the rust-colored glory of the Gypsum Hills on the horizon.
Don’t miss the Annual Kansas Championship Ranch Rodeo, featuring working cowboys competing in events much like the day work on their ranches. The Cowboy Trappings and Trade show, Ranch Horse Show and All Women's Ranch Rodeo will make the event unforgettable.
The Peace Treaty Pageant is a Kansas 150 event. See the web-site for more information: www.peacetreaty.org
For more information about top events in Kansas take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Kansas.