Portal:Montana/Selected biography/6

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Red Cloud (Lakota: Makhpiya Luta), (1822–December 10, 1909) was a war leader of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux). One of the most capable enemies the U. S. military ever faced^{[citation needed]}, he led the successful war in 1866–1868 known as Red Cloud's War over control of the Powder River Country in northwestern Wyoming and southern Montana. Later he led his people in reservation life.

Red Cloud was born close to the forks of the Platte River by the modern-day city of North Platte, Nebraska. His mother was an Oglala and his father was a Brulé. Red Cloud was partly raised by his maternal uncle, Chief Smoke. At a young age, he fought against neighboring Pawnee and Crow, gaining much military experience.

In an 1851 treaty at Fort Laramie, the Sioux (among other tribes) had agreed on terms by which the United States might establish limited roads and military posts on Indian land. By 1865, Red Cloud was one of many Indian leaders who believed the U.S. was breaking the treaty by establishing forts too far up the Bozeman Trail. They had seen other tribes expelled from their land and were determined to resist.