Nebraskaland

78 Nebraskaland • December 2024 THE LAST STOP Fort Robinson State Park is most popular in summer, but visiting in the depths of winter seems to trigger the most profound experiences. When there's nary a tourist to be found, one is given time to ponder and refl ect on the fort's storied history. Such pondering happened last winter as I photographed this old monument surrounded by snow in freezing temperatures. After capturing this image, I was compelled to research the marker's origins. The monument, signifying the location of the Red Cloud Agency, was commissioned for construction by the Daughters of the American Revolution chapter and dedicated in 1932. First, a little history about Indian agencies. They were created by stipulation of the Fort Laramie Treaty. This one, assigned in the 1870s to issue supplies to about 13,000 Native Americans in the region in exchange for land, was the forerunner to the Pine Ridge Reservation to the north. It was the site of prominent tensions between Native Americans and whites. During its operation, a military camp — Camp Robinson — would be established. The military post would soon move 1½ miles west to what would become the busy outpost Fort Robinson. According to newspaper accounts, the monument's 1932 dedication was attended by Red Cloud's only living child, Mrs. John Kills Above, and other living relatives. Red Cloud's grandson, Chief James H. Red Cloud, spoke through an interpreter to represent the Sioux, and was joined by teen daughter Agnes Red Cloud in unveiling the marker which had been covered by an American fl ag. From a front-page story in the Crawford Tribune, May 13, 1932: "The marker contains foundation stones from the old agency buildings, around which three tons of petrifi ed wood is laid, the whole forming a pillar 4 feet square at the base, about 7 feet high, tapering toward the top. A marble tablet giving the duration of the agency's location at the spot, 1873-1877, and the year of the monument's erection, is set in the face of the marker." During sunrise and sunset, I often fi nd myself gravitating to this area of the park. It provides a great view of the Red Cloud Buttes — another of the park's features named after the chief — with a vantage above the White River. I'm sure those selecting the agency's location in the 1870s made note of the same view. And, the site has surely prompted countless others to refl ect on the region's often troubled past. Just like the buttes, the marker seems to be holding up well as it transcends generations. Snow carved by the wind decorates the landscape at the historical site of the Red Cloud Agency at Fort Robinson State Park. The monument marking the site was dedicated in 1932. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND By Justin Haag RED CLOUD AGENCY MONUMENT: A SILENT SENTINEL

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