Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Site, National Historic Landmark in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, United States
The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Site is located where Elm Creek meets the Medicine Lodge River in south-central Kansas and marks where major peace agreements were signed in the 1800s. The grounds now include a large memorial park with rolling green spaces and trails that allow visitors to walk through the landscape where these historic meetings took place.
Government officials and five Native American tribes negotiated peace agreements here in 1867 that reshaped territorial boundaries and living conditions on the Great Plains. These treaties represented a major turning point in how nations would coexist in this region.
Annual reenactments at this location bring the treaty negotiations to life for visitors who want to understand the perspectives of all sides involved. These performances help illustrate how different nations came together to negotiate peace on the Great Plains.
The park is open during daylight hours and allows plenty of time to walk the grounds at your own pace without feeling rushed. Most visitors can explore the trails and main areas comfortably within a few hours.
An old elm tree growing on a creek bank became the key evidence for locating the exact spot where these peace talks occurred, identified more than 50 years after the original events. A Kiowa leader recognized the tree and helped preserve the memory of where this meeting took place.
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