following the indian surrender at the end of the great sioux war of 1876, the cheyennes were forcibly deported to reservations in oklahoma. there they found that the hunting grounds they had been allocated were devoid of the large game they needed to survive, and the supplies promised by the u.s. government failed to arrive, or were stolen by the indian agents. facing starvation, chiefs dull knife and little wolf in 1878 led the northern cheyenne on a fighting journey back to their homeland in montana, more than a thousand miles away, pursued by the u.s. cavalry all the way. porcupine took part in this northern cheyenne exodus. dull knife surrendered at fort robinson in nebraska. his band was imprisoned there and denied food and heating (with temperature well below freezing) for not agreeing to return to oklahoma. nearly half were killed (but not dull knife himself) in a desperate escape from fort robinson. little wolf surrendered in march 1879 at fort keogh in montana. little wolf's band was permitted to stay and dull knife then joined them there.