--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: could not understand why, at treaty…" description: "\"“could not understand why, at treaty councils with the whites, when white prisoners were brought in, beaten, scarred, and noses burned off, the whites ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/rosanne-bittner-32343_indians_could-not-understand-why-at-treaty-counc_2328562.jpg" --- # could not understand why, at treaty councils with the… ![“could not understand why, at treaty councils with the whites, when white prisoners were brought in, beaten, scarred, and noses burned off, the whites suddenly would not continue the talks. Always they turned on them, making demands that were not originally agreed upon,” quote by Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/rosanne-bittner-32343_indians_could-not-understand-why-at-treaty-counc_2328562.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/rosanne-bittner-32343_indians_could-not-understand-why-at-treaty-counc_2328562.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/rosanne-bittner-32343_indians_could-not-understand-why-at-treaty-counc_2328562.jpg) > ““could not understand why, at treaty councils with the whites, when white prisoners were brought in, beaten, scarred, and noses burned off, the whites suddenly would not continue the talks. Always they turned on them, making demands that were not originally agreed upon,”” [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It highlights the betrayal and shifting demands by colonial powers during negotiations, showing how violence undermined trust. **In simple terms:** Colonial powers broke promises after violent acts. Key Takeaway Recognize how power dynamics can corrupt negotiations. Themes colonialism betrayal trust negotiation Mood critical historical Type analysis reflection When to use this quote - diplomacy - human rights advocacy - conflict resolution Key Concepts power imbalance violence broken agreements Questions to Reflect On - What factors drive such sudden policy changes? - How can oppressed groups protect themselves? A Different Perspective The perspective may oversimplify complex political motives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Councils Whites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/councils-whites-5592155/) [Demands Originally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demands-originally-5592154/) [Indians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indians/) [Talks Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talks-turned-5592156/) [Treaty Councils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treaty-councils-5592153/) [White Prisoners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-prisoners-5592152/) ## Related quotes > [Australia has a very big history of incarceration. What does that mean to us? 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They have vanished before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tecumseh/where-today-are-the-pequot-where-are-the-narragansett-the-mohican-the/) [Tecumseh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tecumseh/) > [We did not know there were other people besides the Indian until about one hundred winters ago, when some men with white faces came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-joseph/we-did-not-know-there-were-other-people-besides-the-indian-until/) [Chief Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chief-joseph/) > [The two principles on which our conduct towards the Indians should be founded are justice and fear. After the injuries we have done them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-two-principles-on-which-our-conduct-towards-the-indians-should-be/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by Rosanne Bittner > [“He was strong, and so handsome; So wild and so free; A man of the mountains, In high Tennessee. His arms drew me close,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-bittner/he-was-strong-and-so-handsome-so-wild-and-so-free-a-man-of-the/) [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) > [“No better stress reliever than to sit down and write! Let your imagination take you to other places and another time!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-bittner/no-better-stress-reliever-than-to-sit-down-and-write-let-your/) [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) > [“There was another twenty miles to cover tomorrow, most of it on foot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-bittner/there-was-another-twenty-miles-to-cover-tomorrow-most-of-it-on-foot/) [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) > [“She could not take her heart or trust with her. Chad had stolen both. It still hurt deeply to think about it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-bittner/she-could-not-take-her-heart-or-trust-with-her-chad-had-stolen-both/) [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) > [“the Supreme Court ruling and forced their Indians into Indian Territory (Oklahoma), along what has come to be called the infamous “Trail of Tears.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-bittner/the-supreme-court-ruling-and-forced-their-indians-into-indian/) [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) > [“Governor Evans had himself given the order that citizens could “shoot on site” any Indian who trespassed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-bittner/governor-evans-had-himself-given-the-order-that-citizens-could-shoot/) [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) > [“beating. Emma! A beautiful young woman with golden hair came outside. Her hair was tied into a a tail at the base of her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-bittner/beating-emma-a-beautiful-young-woman-with-golden-hair-came-outside/) [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) > [“Lester Morrow could quite possibly have enough pull with the army to foil Howell’s own attempts at promotion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-bittner/lester-morrow-could-quite-possibly-have-enough-pull-with-the-army-to/) [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) > [“Colonel, my ass. That rotten Indian hater will only cause more problems out here for the real Army. 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You know by instinct that you can trust me, and the same instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-bittner/grinned-that-is-what-you-call-instinct-you-feel-the-trust-you-know-by/) [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) > [“torture and killing were as ingrained a part of their lives and beliefs as breathing. Such behavior was expected by the Comanche.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-bittner/torture-and-killing-were-as-ingrained-a-part-of-their-lives-and/) [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) > [“white raiders attack their own kind just so it can be blamed on the Cheyenne.” Ansley”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-bittner/white-raiders-attack-their-own-kind-just-so-it-can-be-blamed-on-the/) [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) [Explore all 15 Rosanne Bittner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) ## More Indians quotes > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... 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If you understand nothing else about the history of Indians in North America, you need to understand that the question that really matters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/land-if-you-understand-nothing-else-about-the-history-of-indians-in/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [The Indians are a civilization wrought with culture and a beautiful, deep spirituality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cree-summer/the-indians-are-a-civilization-wrought-with-culture-and-a-beautiful/) [Cree Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cree-summer/) > [Where did all these damn Indians come from?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-armstrong-custer/where-did-all-these-damn-indians-come-from/) [George Armstrong Custer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-armstrong-custer/) > [“Just as the Five Tribes and others were formalizing their tribal governments and running their own programs, legal aid groups were helping nonrecognized tribes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-edwin-miller/just-as-the-five-tribes-and-others-were-formalizing-their-tribal/) [Mark Edwin Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-edwin-miller/) > [It is the simplest fact of Indian life: there are too many Indians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/it-is-the-simplest-fact-of-indian-life-there-are-too-many-indians/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [“The Indians must conform to 'the white man’s ways', peaceably if they will, forcibly if they must. 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