Sitting Bull, born in 1831, was a Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux warrior and leader who is best known for his victory over General George Custer's forces in the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. He was one of the most influential and well-known Native American leaders of his time, and his resistance to the U.S. government's policies towards Native Americans made him a symbol of Native American resistance and cultural identity. This article will provide an in-depth biography of Sitting Bull's life, from his childhood and rise to power as a Sioux leader, to his battles against the U.S. government, imprisonment, and eventual death, as well as his impact on Native American rights movements and legacy.
Early Life and Childhood of Sitting Bull
Birth and Childhood
Sitting Bull was born in 1831 on the Grand River in present-day South Dakota. He was named Tatanka-Iyotanka, which means "Sitting Bull" in the Lakota language. His father was a Miniconjou Sioux chief, and his mother was Hunkpapa Lakota. Sitting Bull was part of the Tatanka Oyate, or the Buffalo Nation, which was the largest group of Plains Indians.
Family Background and Sioux Culture
Sitting Bull's family had a strong tradition of leadership, and he grew up in a community that valued bravery, hunting skills, and spiritual practices. His people followed the buffalo herds, and they lived in tipis, which were portable tents made of buffalo hides. Sioux culture was steeped in traditions and rituals, and Sitting Bull learned the importance of respecting the natural world and the spirits that inhabited it.
First Encounter with White Settlers
Sitting Bull's first encounter with white settlers occurred when he was just ten years old. He saw a steamboat on the Missouri River, which was a new and strange object to him. His people were wary of the white people, who were encroaching on their lands and disrupting their way of life. Sitting Bull witnessed the effects of disease, alcohol, and violence brought by the white people, which would shape his views and actions later in life.
Becoming a Warrior and Leader
Training as a Warrior
Sitting Bull began his training as a warrior at a young age. He learned how to ride horses, hunt buffalo, and use weapons like bows and arrows, spears, and guns. He also underwent spiritual training, which meant spending time alone in nature, fasting, and receiving visions. He became known for his bravery, and he led raids against other tribes and white settlers.
First Battles Against White Settlers
Sitting Bull was involved in his first battle against white settlers in 1863. He led a group of warriors against a wagon train carrying supplies for U.S. soldiers. The attack was successful, and the Sioux took the supplies and drove away the soldiers. Sitting Bull saw this as a victory against the U.S. government, which he saw as an enemy to his people.
Rise to Power as a Leader of Hunkpapa Sioux
Sitting Bull became a prominent leader of the Hunkpapa Sioux in the late 1860s. He led his people in battles against the U.S. Army, including the famous Battle of the Rosebud in 1876. He was known for his strategic thinking, his ability to inspire his warriors, and his spiritual guidance. Sitting Bull became a symbol of resistance against the U.S. government's attempts to take Sioux lands and force them onto reservations.
Battle of Little Bighorn and the Defeat of General Custer
The Conflict with U.S. Government
The U.S. government was determined to take control of the Sioux lands, which were rich in gold and other resources. The government also wanted to force the Sioux onto reservations, which would limit their freedom and ability to hunt buffalo. Sitting Bull and other Sioux leaders refused to sign the treaties that would allow this to happen.
Preparing for the Battle of Little Bighorn
In 1876, Sitting Bull and his followers were camped along the Little Bighorn River in present-day Montana. They were joined by other Sioux and Cheyenne warriors, who were also resisting the U.S. government's encroachment on their lands. General George Armstrong Custer and his troops arrived in the area and planned to attack the Sioux and force them onto reservations. Sitting Bull and other Sioux leaders organized their forces and prepared for battle.
The Battle and Victory Against U.S. Army
On June 25, 1876, Custer and his troops attacked the Sioux and Cheyenne camp. However, they were met with fierce resistance, and the Sioux warriors outnumbered and outmaneuvered them. Custer and his men were killed in the battle, which became known as "Custer's Last Stand." The victory was a significant moment in Sioux history and a symbol of their resistance against the U.S. government.
Surrender and Imprisonment
Surrender and Relocation to Reservation
After the Battle of Little Bighorn, the U.S. government intensified its efforts to capture Sitting Bull and force the Sioux onto reservations. In 1881, Sitting Bull surrendered and was relocated to the Standing Rock Reservation in present-day North Dakota. He struggled to adapt to reservation life, and he saw the reservation system as a way to destroy Sioux culture and traditions.
Escape to Canada and Return
In 1885, Sitting Bull escaped to Canada, where he stayed for four years. He met with other Native leaders, including the Cree warrior Big Bear, and tried to gain support for the Sioux cause. However, life in Canada was difficult, and Sitting Bull eventually returned to the United States in 1889.
Arrest and Imprisonment
Sitting Bull continued to speak out against the U.S. government's treatment of the Sioux, and he was seen as a threat by many white settlers. In 1890, he was arrested and charged with inciting a riot. He was killed during the arrest, which sparked outrage among Native Americans and others who saw him as a hero and a symbol of resistance against injustice.
Life on the Reservation and Resistance Movements
Sitting Bull, a revered Native American chief, spent the latter years of his life on a reservation after years of fighting against the encroachment of white settlers on his people's land. The living conditions on the reservation were dismal, and many of the Sioux people were suffering from poverty and disease. Sitting Bull became a vocal critic of the reservation system, which he saw as a form of captivity for his people. He openly spoke out against the policies of the American government and advocated for the rights of his people.
In 1890, Sitting Bull became involved in the Ghost Dance movement, which was a religious movement that aimed to revitalize the traditional practices and culture of the Native American people. The American government saw the movement as a threat and believed that it would lead to an uprising. Tensions between the government and the Native American people soared, and Sitting Bull was seen as a leader of the resistance.
Living Conditions on Reservation
Living conditions on the reservation were difficult for the Sioux people. They were forced to live in small, cramped spaces and were given food and supplies that were often of poor quality. Many Sioux people suffered from malnutrition and disease, and were unable to access the medical care they needed. Sitting Bull was a vocal critic of the reservation system and spoke out about the poor conditions that his people were living in.
Participation in Ghost Dance Movement
Sitting Bull became involved in the Ghost Dance movement in 1890, which aimed to revive traditional Native American culture and practices. The American government saw the movement as a threat and feared that it would lead to an uprising. Sitting Bull was seen as a leader of the resistance and was targeted by the government for his involvement in the movement.
Renewed Resistance and the Wounded Knee Massacre
Tensions between the government and the Native American people escalated, and in December 1890, the US Army was sent to arrest Sitting Bull. Sitting Bull was killed in the ensuing conflict, which came to be known as the Wounded Knee Massacre. The massacre resulted in the deaths of over 150 Native American men, women, and children. The event was a turning point in Native American history and marked the end of the Indian Wars.
Joining Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
After years of fighting against the American government, Sitting Bull joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in 1885. The decision was controversial, as many Native Americans saw the show as a form of exploitation. However, Sitting Bull saw the show as an opportunity to share his story and to educate people about the traditions and culture of the Native American people.
The Decision to Join the Show
Sitting Bull's decision to join Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show was controversial, as many Native Americans saw the show as a form of exploitation. However, Sitting Bull saw the show as an opportunity to share his story and to educate people about the traditions and culture of the Native American people. He wanted to use the show as a platform to speak out against the injustices that his people had faced.
Performances and Public Perception
Sitting Bull's performances in the Wild West Show were highly publicized, and he quickly became a popular attraction. His performances included traditional Native American dances and ceremonies, as well as demonstrations of traditional hunting techniques. However, Sitting Bull's involvement in the show was controversial, and he faced criticism from many Native Americans who saw it as a form of exploitation.
Legacy and Impact of Joining the Show
Sitting Bull's decision to join Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show had a significant impact on his legacy. While many Native Americans saw it as a betrayal of his people, others saw it as a way to share his story and to educate people about Native American culture. Today, Sitting Bull is remembered as a powerful leader who fought tirelessly for the rights and freedoms of his people.
Death and Legacy of Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull died on December 15, 1890, during a conflict with the US Army. His death was a turning point in Native American history and marked the end of the Indian Wars. Sitting Bull's legacy lives on, and he is remembered as a powerful leader who fought tirelessly for the rights and freedoms of his people.
The Circumstances of His Death
Sitting Bull was killed in 1890 during a conflict with the US Army. The conflict stemmed from tensions between the government and the Native American people, and Sitting Bull was seen as a leader of the resistance. His death marked a turning point in Native American history and marked the end of the Indian Wars.
Funeral and Mourning Period
Sitting Bull's funeral was attended by hundreds of Native Americans and was a solemn and mournful occasion. His death was seen as a tragic loss to the Native American community, and his legacy was celebrated through traditional ceremonies and rituals.
Legacy and Impact on Native American Rights Movements
Sitting Bull's legacy lives on, and he is remembered as a powerful leader who fought tirelessly for the rights and freedoms of his people. His resistance against the American government and his advocacy for Native American rights continue to inspire Native American activists today. Sitting Bull's legacy has had a lasting impact on the Native American community and continues to shape the fight for Native American rights and freedoms.In conclusion, Sitting Bull's life and legacy remain an important symbol of Native American resistance and cultural identity. His leadership and bravery continue to inspire many to fight for their rights and preserve their cultural heritage. His story is a reminder of the struggles and sacrifices made by Native Americans in the face of colonization and oppression, and serves as a testament to the resilience and strength of Indigenous communities.
FAQ
What was Sitting Bull's role in the Battle of Little Bighorn?
Sitting Bull was a key leader in the Battle of Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand, where he led a coalition of Native American forces against the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry. His tactical leadership helped secure a decisive victory for the Native American forces.
What was Sitting Bull's relationship with the U.S. government?
Sitting Bull was a fierce opponent of the U.S. government's policies towards Native Americans, which he saw as exploitative and destructive to his people's way of life. He resisted government efforts to relocate Native American communities onto reservations, and fought against the encroachment of white settlers onto Native American lands.
What was Sitting Bull's impact on Native American rights movements?
Sitting Bull's resistance to U.S. government policies and his leadership during the Battle of Little Bighorn made him a symbol of Native American resistance and cultural identity. His legacy helped inspire later generations of Native American activists and leaders, who continued to fight for their rights and cultural preservation.
How did Sitting Bull's decision to join Buffalo Bill's Wild West show impact his legacy?
Sitting Bull's decision to join Buffalo Bill's Wild West show was controversial, with some viewing it as a betrayal of his Native American identity and others as a savvy political move. Regardless, his participation in the show helped to popularize his image and story, and cemented his place in American popular culture as a symbol of Native American resistance and cultural identity.
It is not easy to characterize Sitting Bull, of all Sioux chiefs most generally known to the American people. There are few to whom his name is not familiar, and still fewer who have learned to connect it with anything more than the conventional notion of a bloodthirsty savage. The man was an enigma at best. He was not impulsive, nor was he phlegmatic.
He was most serious when he seemed to be jocose. He was gifted with the power of sarcasm, and few have used it more artfully than he. His father was one of the best-known members of the Unkpapa band of Sioux. The manner of this man's death was characteristic.
One day, when the Unkpapas were attacked by a large war party of Crows, he fell upon the enemy's war leader with his knife. In a hand-to-hand combat of this sort, we count the victor as entitled to a war bonnet of trailing plumes. It means certain death to one or both. In this case, both men dealt a mortal stroke, and Jumping Buffalo, the father of Sitting Bull, fell from his saddle and died in a few minutes.
The other died later from the effects of the wound. Sitting Bull's boyhood must have been a happy one. It was long after the day of the dog-travaux, and his father owned many ponies of variegated colors. It was said of him in a joking way that his legs were bowed like the ribs of the ponies that he rode constantly from childhood. He had also a common nickname that was much to the point.
It was "Hunkeshnee", which means "Slow", referring to his inability to run fast, or more probably to the fact that he seldom appeared on foot. In their boyish games he was wont to take the part of the "old man", but this does not mean that he was not active and brave. It is told that after a buffalo hunt the boys were enjoying a mimic hunt with the calves that had been left behind.
A large calf turned viciously on Sitting Bull, whose pony had thrown him, but the alert youth got hold of both ears and struggled until the calf was pushed back into a buffalo wallow in a sitting posture. The boys shouted: "He has subdued the buffalo calf! He made it sit down!" And from this incident was derived his familiar name of Sitting Bull.
It is a mistake to suppose that Sitting Bull, or any other Indian warrior, was of a murderous disposition. It is true that savage warfare had grown more and more harsh and cruel since the coming of white traders among them, bringing guns, knives, and whisky. Yet it was still regarded largely as a sort of game, undertaken in order to develop the manly qualities of their youth. It was the degree of risk which brought honor, rather than the number slain, and a brave must mourn thirty days, with blackened face and loosened hair, for the enemy whose life he had taken.
While the spoils of war were allowed, this did not extend to territorial aggrandizement, nor was there any wish to overthrow another nation and enslave its people. It was a point of honor in the old days to treat a captive with kindness. The common impression that the Indian is naturally cruel and revengeful is entirely opposed to his philosophy and training.
The revengeful tendency of the Indian was aroused by the white man. It is not the natural Indian who is mean and tricky; not Massasoit but King Philip; not
Attackullakulla but Weatherford; not Wabashaw but Little Crow; not Jumping Buffalo but Sitting Bull! These men lifted their hands against the white man, while their fathers held theirs out to him with gifts. Remember that there were councils which gave their decisions in accordance with the highest ideal of human justice before there were any cities on this continent; before there were bridges to span the Mississippi; before this network of railroads was dreamed of!
There were primitive communities upon the very spot where Chicago or New York City now stands, where men were as children, innocent of all the crimes now committed there daily and nightly. True morality is more easily maintained in connection with the simple life. You must accept the truth that you demoralize any race whom you have subjugated. From this point of view we shall consider Sitting Bull's career.
We say he is an untutored man: that is true so far as learning of a literary type is concerned; but he was not an untutored man when you view him from the standpoint of his nation. To be sure, he did not learn his lessons from books.
This is second-hand information at best. All that he learned he verified for himself and put into daily practice. In personal appearance he was rather commonplace and made no immediate impression, but as he talked he seemed to take hold of his hearers more and more.
He was bull-headed; quick to grasp a situation, and not readily induced to change his mind. He was not suspicious until he was forced to be so. All his meaner traits were inevitably developed by the events of his later career. Sitting Bull's history has been written many times by newspaper men and army officers, but I find no account of him which is entirely correct. I met him personally in
1884, and since his death I have gone thoroughly into the details of his life with his relatives and contemporaries.
It has often been said that he was a physical coward and not a warrior. Judge of this for yourselves from the deed which first gave him fame in his own tribe, when he was about twenty-eight years old. In an attack upon a band of Crow Indians, one of the enemy took his stand, after the rest had fled, in a deep ditch from which it seemed impossible to dislodge him. The situation had already cost the lives of several warriors, but they could not let him go to repeat such a boast over the Sioux! "Follow me!" said Sitting Bull, and charged.
He raced his horse to the brim of the ditch and struck at the enemy with his coup- staff, thus compelling him to expose himself to the fire of the others while shooting his assailant. But the Crow merely poked his empty gun into his face and dodged back under cover. Then Sitting Bull stopped; he saw that no one had followed him, and he also perceived that the enemy had no more ammunition left.
He rode deliberately up to the barrier and threw his loaded gun over it; then he went back to his party and told them what he thought of them. "Now," said he, "I have armed him, for I will not see a brave man killed unarmed. I will strike him again with my coup-staff to count the first feather; who will count the second?"
Again he led the charge, and this time they all followed him. Sitting Bull was severely wounded by his own gun in the hands of the enemy, who was killed by those that came after him.
This is a record that so far as I know was never made by any other warrior. The second incident that made him well known was his taking of a boy captive in battle with the Assiniboines. He saved this boy's life and adopted him as his brother. Hohay, as he was called, was devoted to Sitting Bull and helped much in later years to spread his fame. Sitting Bull was a born diplomat, a ready speaker, and in middle life he ceased to go upon the warpath, to become the councilor of his people.
From this time on, this man represented him in all important battles, and upon every brave deed done was wont to exclaim aloud: "I, Sitting Bull's boy, do this in his name!" He had a nephew, now living, who resembles him strongly, and who also represented him personally upon the field; and so far as there is any remnant left of his immediate band, they look upon this man One Bull as their chief. When Sitting Bull was a boy, there was no thought of trouble with the whites.
He was acquainted with many of the early traders, Picotte, Choteau, Primeau, Larpenteur, and others, and liked them, as did most of his people in those days. All the early records show this friendly attitude of the Sioux, and the great fur companies for a century and a half depended upon them for the bulk of their trade. It was not until the middle of the last century that they woke up all of a sudden to the danger threatening their very existence.
Yet at that time many of the old chiefs had been already depraved by the whisky and other vices of the whites, and in the vicinity of the forts and trading posts at
Sioux City, Saint Paul, and Cheyenne, there was general demoralization.
The drunkards and hangers-on were ready to sell almost anything they had for the favor of the trader. The better and stronger element held aloof. They would not have anything of the white man except his hatchet, gun, and knife.
They utterly refused to cede their lands; and as for the rest, they were willing to let him alone as long as he did not interfere with their life and customs, which was not long. It was not, however, the Unkpapa band of Sioux, Sitting Bull's band, which first took up arms against the whites; and this was not because they had come less in contact with them, for they dwelt on the Missouri River, the natural highway of trade.
As early as 1854, the Ogallalas and Brules had trouble with the soldiers near Fort
Laramie; and again in 1857 Inkpaduta massacred several families of settlers at Spirit Lake, Iowa. Finally, in 1869, the Minnesota Sioux, goaded by many wrongs, arose and murdered many of the settlers, afterward fleeing into the country of the Unkpapas and appealing to them for help, urging that all Indians should make common cause against the invader.
This brought Sitting Bull face to face with a question which was not yet fully matured in his own mind; but having satisfied himself of the justice of their cause, he joined forces with the renegades during the summer of 1863, and from this time on he was an acknowledged leader. In 1865 and 1866 he met the Canadian half-breed, Louis Riel, instigator of two rebellions, who had come across the line for safety; and in fact at this time he harbored a number of outlaws and fugitives from justice.
His conversations with these, especially with the French mixed-bloods, who inflamed his prejudices against the Americans, all had their influence in making of the wily Sioux a determined enemy to the white man. While among his own people he was always affable and genial, he became boastful and domineering in his dealings with the hated race.
He once remarked that "if we wish to make any impression upon the pale-face, it is necessary to put on his mask." Sitting Bull joined in the attack on Fort Phil
Kearny and in the subsequent hostilities; but he accepted in good faith the treaty of 1868, and soon after it was signed he visited Washington with Red Cloud and Spotted Tail, on which occasion the three distinguished chiefs attracted much attention and were entertained at dinner by President Grant and other notables.
He considered that the life of the white man as he saw it was no life for his people, but hoped by close adherence to the terms of this treaty to preserve the
Big Horn and Black Hills country for a permanent hunting ground. When gold was discovered and the irrepressible gold seekers made their historic dash across the plains into this forbidden paradise, then his faith in the white man's honor was gone forever, and he took his final and most persistent stand in defense of his nation and home.
His bitter and at the same time well-grounded and philosophical dislike of the conquering race is well expressed in a speech made before the purely Indian council before referred to, upon the Powder River.
I will give it in brief as it has been several times repeated to me by men who were present. "Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love! Every seed is awakened, and all animal life. It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being, and we therefore yield to our neighbors, even to our animal neighbors, the same right as ourselves to inhabit this vast land.
"Yet hear me, friends! we have now to deal with another people, small and feeble when our forefathers first met with them, but now great and overbearing. Strangely enough, they have a mind to till the soil, and the love of possessions is a disease in them. These people have made many rules that the rich may break, but the poor may not! They have a religion in which the poor worship, but the rich will not! They even take tithes of the poor and weak to support the rich and those who rule. They claim this mother of ours, the Earth, for their own use, and fence their neighbors away from her, and deface her with their buildings and their refuse. They compel her to produce out of season, and when sterile she is made to take medicine in order to produce again. All this is sacrilege.
"This nation is like a spring freshet; it overruns its banks and destroys all who are in its path. We cannot dwell side by side. Only seven years ago we made a treaty by which we were assured that the buffalo country should be left to us forever. Now they threaten to take that from us also. My brothers, shall we submit? or shall we say to them: 'First kill me, before you can take possession of my fatherland!'"
As Sitting Bull spoke, so he felt, and he had the courage to stand by his words. Crazy Horse led his forces in the field; as for him, he applied his energies to state affairs, and by his strong and aggressive personality contributed much to holding the hostiles together. It may be said without fear of contradiction that Sitting Bull never killed any women or children.
He was a fair fighter, and while not prominent in battle after his young manhood, he was the brains of the Sioux resistance. He has been called a "medicine man" and a "dreamer."
Strictly speaking, he was neither of these, and the white historians are prone to confuse the two. A medicine man is a doctor or healer; a dreamer is an active war prophet who leads his war party according to his dream or prophecy. What is called by whites "making medicine" in war time is again a wrong conception.
Every warrior carries a bag of sacred or lucky charms, supposed to protect the wearer alone, but it has nothing to do with the success or safety of the party as a whole. No one can make any "medicine" to affect the result of a battle, although it has been said that Sitting Bull did this at the battle of the Little Big Horn. When
Custer and Reno attacked the camp at both ends, the chief was caught napping.
The village was in danger of surprise, and the women and children must be placed in safety. Like other men of his age, Sitting Bull got his family together for flight, and then joined the warriors on the Reno side of the attack.
Thus he was not in the famous charge against Custer; nevertheless, his voice was heard exhorting the warriors throughout that day.
During the autumn of 1876, after the fall of Custer, Sitting Bull was hunted all through the Yellowstone region by the military.
The following characteristic letter, doubtless written at his dictation by a half- breed interpreter, was sent to Colonel Otis immediately after a daring attack upon his wagon train. "I want to know what you are doing, traveling on this road. You scare all the buffalo away. I want to hunt in this place. I want you to turn back from here. If you don't, I will fight you again. I want you to leave what you have got here and turn back from here. I am your friend Sitting Bull. I mean all the rations you have got and some powder. Wish you would write me as soon as you can."
Otis, however, kept on and joined Colonel Miles, who followed Sitting Bull with about four hundred soldiers. He overtook him at last on Cedar Creek, near the Yellowstone, and the two met midway between the lines for a parley. The army report says: "Sitting Bull wanted peace in his own way."
The truth was that he wanted nothing more than had been guaranteed to them by the treaty of 1868 -- the exclusive possession of their last hunting ground. This the government was not now prepared to grant, as it had been decided to place all the Indians under military control upon the various reservations.
Since it was impossible to reconcile two such conflicting demands, the hostiles were driven about from pillar to post for several more years, and finally took refuge across the line in Canada, where Sitting Bull had placed his last hope of justice and freedom for his race.
Here he was joined from time to time by parties of malcontents from the reservation, driven largely by starvation and ill-treatment to seek another home. Here, too, they were followed by United States commissioners, headed by
General Terry, who endeavored to persuade him to return, promising abundance of food and fair treatment, despite the fact that the exiles were well aware of the miserable condition of the "good Indians" upon the reservations.
He first refused to meet them at all, and only did so when advised to that effect by Major Walsh of the Canadian mounted police. This was his characteristic remark: "If you have one honest man in Washington, send him here and I will talk to him."
Sitting Bull was not moved by fair words; but when he found that if they had liberty on that side, they had little else, that the Canadian government would give them protection but no food; that the buffalo had been all but exterminated and his starving people were already beginning to desert him, he was compelled at last, in 1881, to report at Fort Buford, North Dakota, with his band of hungry, homeless, and discouraged refugees.
It was, after all, to hunger and not to the strong arm of the military that he surrendered in the end. In spite of the invitation that had been extended to him in the name of the "Great Father" at Washington, he was immediately thrown into a military prison, and afterward handed over to Colonel Cody ("Buffalo Bill") as an advertisement for his "Wild West Show."
After traveling about for several years with the famous showman, thus increasing his knowledge of the weaknesses as well as the strength of the white man, the deposed and humiliated chief settled down quietly with his people upon the Standing Rock agency in North Dakota, where his immediate band occupied the Grand River district and set to raising cattle and horses. They made good progress; much better, in fact, than that of the "coffee-coolers" or "loafer" Indians, received the missionaries kindly and were soon a church-going people.
When the Commissions of 1888 and 1889 came to treat with the Sioux for a further cession of land and a reduction of their reservations, nearly all were opposed to consent on any terms. Nevertheless, by hook or by crook, enough signatures were finally obtained to carry the measure through, although it is said that many were those of women and the so-called "squaw-men", who had no rights in the land.
At the same time, rations were cut down, and there was general hardship and dissatisfaction. Crazy Horse was long since dead; Spotted Tail had fallen at the hands of one of his own tribe; Red Cloud had become a feeble old man, and the disaffected among the Sioux began once more to look to Sitting Bull for leadership. At this crisis a strange thing happened.
A half-breed Indian in Nevada promulgated the news that the Messiah had appeared to him upon a peak in the Rockies, dressed in rabbit skins, and bringing a message to the red race. The message was to the effect that since his first coming had been in vain, since the white people had doubted and reviled him, had nailed him to the cross, and trampled upon his doctrines, he had come again in pity to save the Indian.
He declared that he would cause the earth to shake and to overthrow the cities of the whites and destroy them, that the buffalo would return, and the land belong to the red race forever! These events were to come to pass within two years; and meanwhile they were to prepare for his coming by the ceremonies and dances which he commanded.
This curious story spread like wildfire and met with eager acceptance among the suffering and discontented people. The teachings of Christian missionaries had prepared them to believe in a Messiah, and the prescribed ceremonial was much more in accord with their traditions than the conventional worship of the churches. Chiefs of many tribes sent delegations to the Indian prophet; Short Bull, Kicking Bear, and others went from among the Sioux, and on their return all inaugurated the dances at once. There was an attempt at first to keep the matter secret, but it soon became generally known and seriously disconcerted the
Indian agents and others, who were quick to suspect a hostile conspiracy under all this religious enthusiasm.
As a matter of fact, there was no thought of an uprising; the dancing was innocent enough, and pathetic enough their despairing hope in a pitiful Savior who should overwhelm their oppressors and bring back their golden age. When the Indians refused to give up the "Ghost Dance" at the bidding of the authorities, the growing suspicion and alarm focused upon Sitting Bull, who in spirit had never been any too submissive, and it was determined to order his arrest. At the special request of Major McLaughlin, agent at Standing Rock, forty of his Indian police were sent out to Sitting Bull's home on Grand River to secure his person
(followed at some little distance by a body of United States troops for reinforcement, in case of trouble).
These police are enlisted from among the tribesmen at each agency, and have proved uniformly brave and faithful. They entered the cabin at daybreak, aroused the chief from a sound slumber, helped him to dress, and led him unresisting from the house; but when he came out in the gray dawn of that December morning in 1890, to find his cabin surrounded by armed men and himself led away to he knew not what fate, he cried out loudly: "They have taken me: what say you to it?" Men poured out of the neighboring houses, and in a few minutes the police were themselves surrounded with an excited and rapidly increasing throng. They harangued the crowd in vain; Sitting Bull's blood was up, and he again appealed to his men.
His adopted brother, the Assiniboine captive whose life he had saved so many years before, was the first to fire. His shot killed Lieutenant Bull Head, who held
Sitting Bull by the arm. Then there was a short but sharp conflict, in which Sitting Bull and six of his defenders and six of the Indian police were slain, with many more wounded. The chief's young son, Crow Foot, and his devoted "brother" died with him. When all was over, and the terrified people had fled precipitately across the river, the soldiers appeared upon the brow of the long hill and fired their Hotchkiss guns into the deserted camp.
Thus ended the life of a natural strategist of no mean courage and ability. The great chief was buried without honors outside the cemetery at the post, and for some years the grave was marked by a mere board at its head. Recently some women have built a cairn of rocks there in token of respect and remembrance.
written by Charles Eastmen, 1913
Native name Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotȟake (born Hoka Psice)
Born c. 1831 – Grand River, South Dakota
December 15, 1890
Standing Rock Indian Reservation
Tribe Hunkpapa Lakota
(aged 58–59)
Sitting Bull (Lakota: Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake in Standard Lakota Orthography, also nicknamed Slon-he or "Slow"; c. 1831 – December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux holy man who led his people as a tribal chief during years of resistance to United States government policies. Born near the Grand River in Dakota Territory, he was killed by Indian agency police on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation during an attempt to arrest him and prevent him from supporting the Ghost Dance movement.
He had a premonition of defeating the cavalry, which motivated his Native American people to a major victory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn against Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry on June 25, 1876. Months after the battle, Sitting Bull and his group left the United States to Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan, where he remained until 1881, at which time he surrendered to U.S. forces. A small remnant of his band under Chief Waŋblí Ǧí decided to stay at Wood Mountain.
After working as a performer, Sitting Bull returned to the Standing Rock Agency in South Dakota. Because of fears that he would use his influence to support the Ghost Dance movement, Indian Service agent James McLaughlin at Fort Yates ordered his arrest. During an ensuing struggle between Sitting Bull's followers and the agency police, Sitting Bull was shot in the side and head by Standing Rock policemen Lieutenant Bull Head (Tatankapah) and Red Tomahawk (Marcelus Chankpidutah) after the police were fired upon by Sitting Bull's supporters. His body was taken to nearby Fort Yates for burial, but in 1953, his remains were possibly exhumed and reburied near Mobridge, South Dakota, by his Lakota family, who wanted his body to be nearer to his birthplace
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitting_bull
Sitting Bull was the first man to become chief of the entire Lakota Sioux nation.
Sitting Bull was born around 1831 into the Hunkpapa people, a Lakota Sioux tribe that roamed the Great Plains in what is now the Dakotas. He was initially called “Jumping Badger” by his family, but earned the boyhood nickname “Slow” for his quiet and deliberate demeanor. The future chief killed his first buffalo when he was just 10 years old. At 14, he joined a Hunkpapa raiding party and distinguished himself by knocking a Crow warrior from his horse with a tomahawk. In celebration of the boy’s bravery, his father relinquished his own name and transferred it to his son. From then on, Slow became known as Tatanka-Iyotanka, or “Sitting Bull.”
Sitting Bull was renowned for his skill in close quarters fighting and collected several red feathers representing wounds sustained in battle. As word of his exploits spread, his fellow warriors took to yelling, “Sitting Bull, I am he!” to intimidate their enemies during combat. The most stunning display of his courage came in 1872, when the Sioux clashed with the U.S. Army during a campaign to block construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad. As a symbol of his contempt for the soldiers, the middle-aged chief strolled out into the open and took a seat in front of their lines. Inviting several others to join him, he proceeded to have a long, leisurely smoke from his tobacco pipe, all the while ignoring the hail of bullets whizzing by his head. Upon finishing his pipe, Siting Bull carefully cleaned it and then walked off, still seemingly oblivious to the gunfire around him. His nephew White Bull would later call the act of defiance “the bravest deed possible.”