When treaties were made between Native American tribes and the U.S. government, the process often did not involve interviews or formal recognitions of tribal leadership in the way we might expect today. Historically, the U.S. government often dealt with tribal leaders who were recognized by their communities, but the selection and recognition of these leaders varied widely among different tribes and cultures.
In many cases, colonial and later U.S. officials would engage with individuals they identified as chiefs or leaders, but these individuals were not necessarily representative of the entire tribe or its governance structures. The complexities of tribal leadership, which could include councils, consensus-based decision-making, and varying roles based on gender, age, and kinship, were often misunderstood or ignored by external negotiators.
Moreover, treaties frequently aimed to impose specific governance structures that aligned more closely with Euro-American political systems, rather than respecting traditional tribal governance. This led to challenges and disputes within tribes about who had the authority to negotiate, leading to tensions both within and between tribes.
In summary, while tribal leaders were typically involved in treaty negotiations, the process did not usually include a formal interview system and often failed to acknowledge the complexities of tribal governance.