Dallin himself did not refer to the four sculptures as a series, but critics have often interpreted the works as a narrative about the fate of Native Americans. According to this reading, the series begins with A Signal of Peace depicting the "naive" welcome of Europeans by the Indian chief. This moment is followed by hesitancy and the realization that white settlers may cause harm in The Medicine Man. With The Protest of the Sioux, the American Indian is seen as fighting back against mistreatment from settlers. Appeal to the Great Spirit is then interpreted to represent the defeat of Indigenous people, as the Native American adopts a pose of surrender.
