Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull (Tatanka Yotanka), a Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux chief was born about
1834 in the region of the Grand River in South Dakota. He lead his people
agaist the US governement who were trying to annex his lands and force his
people onto reservations. Sitting Bull was among the tribes united to defeat
Lt. Col. Armstong Custer in the Battle of Little Big Horn. Sitting Bull fled
to Canada. In 1881 he was promised amnesty and returned to US territory to a
reservation. He was kept under surveillance and released in 1883. In 1885
joined the world famous Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West Show. See Photo.
They toured the United States and several foreign countries playing for the
British Royalty.
In 1888 President Grover Cleveland met with Sitting Bull
and chief Gall, and John Grass to make the Standing Rock Agency part of the
government. Sitting Bull was against it and quarreled with Gall who accepted
the terms. They became bitter enemies when the Agency was established in 1889.
In 1890 the new Indian messiah, "Wavoka" a Paiute Indain, claimed he could
rescue Indains from their plight and restore the red man. Kicking Bear, Short
Bull, and Porcupine journeyed to Nevada to meet the Messiah. General Miles
heard that the Messiah message aroused the old Sitting Bull and afraid he would
organized the Indians to rebel from the reservations, sent out orders to arrest
him. He protested the arrest and was killed by the Indian Police sent in by
Major E. G. Fechet troops on Dec 15, 1890. His son Crowfoot who urged him to
resist arrest and 13 Sioux warriors were killed. Sitting Bulls people fled the
camp when Fechet's troops approached.
Sitting Bulls death let to the battle
of Wounded Knee. The fugitives from Sitting Bulls camp met with Big Foots people
and went to the Badlands to escape the soldiers. They were captured by Major Whiteside
and surrendered. The next morning the soldiers demanded their guns, and an unknown
shot was fired and the soldiers began firing on the camp. Three hundred men,
women, and children were killed including Chief Big Foot, plus forty troopers.
