Research

To get a handle on the history I'm alternating...  I'm reading history.

I've got the high points, and high points are all that will show in the stories/campaign, but the supporting strata needs to be known.

I just read about something I'd never heard of.

The Battle of Beecher Island.

It occurs to me that if Roman Nose/Woqini had followed the strict instructions of his war bonnet, he'd have won that battle.

The battle is also illustrative of the power of leadership on a group.

Major Forsyth, despite being rather severely injured, remained level headed and in command.  Even performing surgery on his own leg to remain in the fight.

Woqini is an example of what happens when an "unstoppable" leader gets snuffed.  The initiative shifts and morale collapses.

By the way, to the "white man is the cause of all evil to the Indians" crowd:  The group he was in was part of a large movement to reject treaties and peace with the white man and keep fighting regardless.

These splinter groups are part of what made it impossible for peace to settle in and largely resulted in reasonable requests and demands from Indian Affairs to be rejected and underfunded... which resulted in more splintering and resistance to the treaty... which lead to more cracking down from the Army... which led to...

It was akin to pilot induced oscillation.