Sitting Bull joined his first war party at 14 and soon gained a reputation for bravery in battle. In 1868 the Sioux accepted peace with the
God
made me an Indian
– Sitting Bull
Early Years
Arguably the most
powerful and perhaps famous of all Native American chiefs, Sitting Bull was
born in 1831 in what is now called South
Dakota .
The son of an esteemed Sioux warrior
named “Returns-Again”, Sitting Bull looked up to his father and desired to
follow in his footsteps, but didn't show a particular talent for warfare. At the age of 10, however, he killed
his first buffalo. Four years later, he
fought honorably in a battle against a rival clan. He was named Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake, a Lakota name
describing a bull buffalo sitting on its haunches.
Much of Sitting Bull's life was
shaped by the struggles against an expanding American nation. When Sitting Bull was young he was chosen as
leader of the Strong Heart Society. In
June 1863 took up arms against the United States for the first
time. He fought American soldiers again
the following year at the Battle of Killdeer Mountain. In 1865 he led an attack on the newly built Fort Rice in
what is now called North Dakota . His skills as a warrior and the respect he'd
earned as a leader of his people led him to become chief of the Lakota nation
in 1868.
Defender of His People
Confrontation with
American soldiers escalated in the mid 1870's after gold was discovered in the Black Hills , a sacred area to Native Americans that the
American government had recognized following the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty.
As white prospectors rushed into the
Sioux lands, the American government tabled the treaty and declared war on any
native tribes that prevented it from taking over the land. When Sitting Bull refused to abide by these
new conditions, the stage was set for confrontation.
Sitting Bull's defense of his land
was rooted both in the history of his culture and in the fate he believed
awaited his people. At a Sun Dance
Ceremony on the Little Bighorn River , where a
large community of Native Americans had established a village, Sitting Bull
danced for 36 consecutive hours. He
finished his performance by informing villagers that he had received a vision
in which the American army was defeated.
In June 1876, just a few days later,
the chief led a successful battle against American forces in the Battle of the
Rosebud. A week later he was engaged in
battle again, this time against General George Armstrong Custer in the now
famous Battle
at Little Bighorn. Sitting Bull led
thousands of Sioux and Cheyenne
warriors against Custer's undermanned force, wiping out the American general
and his 200-plus men.
For the U.S. government the defeat was an
embarrassment, and the Army doubled its efforts to wrest control of the
territory. To escape Sitting Bull led
his people into Canada for four years.
Sitting Bull's Return
In 1881 Sitting Bull returned to the
Dakota Territory , where he was held prisoner
until 1883. In 1885, after befriending Annie
Oakley, he joined Buffalo
Bill Cody's Wild
West Show. Sitting Bull quickly grew tired of the
performances and life on the road. He
was shocked by the poverty he saw in the cities, and coupled with the hatred
that was directed toward him by some audience members, Sitting
Bull decided to return to his people.
"would rather die an Indian
than live a white man," he famously said.
Final Years
Back home, in a cabin
on the Grand River not far from where he'd
been born, Sitting Bull lived his life without compromise. He rejected Christianity and continued to
honor his people's way of life.
In 1889 Native Americans began to
take up the Ghost Dance, a ceremony aimed at ridding the land of white people
and restore the Native American way of life.
Sitting Bull soon joined it.
Fearing the powerful chief's
influence, authorities directed a group of Lakota police officers to arrest
Sitting Bull. On December 15, 1890, they
entered his home and dragged Sitting
Bull out of his cabin. A gunfight followed
and the chief was shot in the head and killed.
He was laid to rest at Fort Yates in North
Dakota . In
1953, his remains were moved to Mobridge ,
South Dakota , where they remain
today.
© 2012 A+E Networks. All rights reserved. Edited for this presentation.
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