Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull was born in 1831 in Grand River, South Dakota. His native name is Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotȟake, but his birth name was Hoka Psice. Sitting Bull was the chief of the Hunkpapa Lakota tribe.
Sitting Bull had many wives. They are Light Hair, Four Robes, Snow-On-Her, Seen-By-Her-Nation, and Scarlet Woman. Sitting Bull adopted some of his children, but not all of them were adopted. One Bull (adopted) and Crow Foot were his children. He also had two daughters named Many Horses and Walks Looking. Jumping Bull was Sitting Bull's father. Her-Holy-Door was his mother. He had a half brother named Big Foot. White Bull was Sitting Bull's nephew.
Sitting Bull fought in many wars. Some wars that Sitting Bull was involved in are not well known. Sitting Bull fought in a war between the Lakota and the Crow. That war earned him one of his father's names. That is how his name became Sitting Bull. Sitting Bull's people were attacked by the US Army, but this was not a war. Sitting Bull led numerous war parties against Fort Berthold, Fort Stevenson, and Fort Buford and their surrounding areas between the years 1865 and 1868. This became known as the Red Cloud's War (because Red Cloud signed a treaty to stop storming the forts and Sitting Bull continued to storm places in the late 1860's and early 1870's). Sitting Bull fought many US workers that interfered with his land. Many of the Lakata bands sided with the Cheyenne during the Plains Wars (a more accurate name would be The Great Cheyenne War). Sitting Bull was not afraid of war. He once said, "The Great Spirit has given our enemies to us. We are to destroy them. We do not know who they are. They may be soldiers". In one battle he prepared by being a spiritual Chief. He performed the Sun Dance, in which he fasted and sacrificed over 100 pieces of flesh off his arms. Sitting Bull is most famous for his work in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Once the US Army left some men in the native land to fix some wagons. Sitting Bull saw an opportunity and grasped it. He lead an attack on the workers with 100 of his people with him. Sitting Bull was shot in the left hip by a soldier. The bullet exited out through the small of his back. Luckily the wound was not too bad.
Sitting Bull heard about the Black Hill Gold Rush from the US and tried to move his people to the Black Hills. The US government increasingly pressured to open the Black Hills to mining and settlements. In November 1875, the government ordered all Sioux bands outside of the Great Sioux Reservation to move onto the reservation. If they refused then they would be considered "hostiles". Sitting Bull was exiled to Canada because he refused to surrender. He stayed there for many years. He met Chief Crowfoot, who was the leader of the Black Foot people. Sitting Bull liked Crowfoot so much, that he named one of his sons after him. Hunger and desperation eventually forced Sitting Bull and 186 of his family and followers to return to the United States. They surrendered on July 19, 1881. After leaving Canada, Sitting Bull waited for the rest of his tribe to follow him. After two weeks, the army transferred Sitting Bull and his band to Fort Yates. He was later transferred to Fort Randall to be held as prisoners of war. They spent 20 months there and returned north to the Standing Rock Agency in May 1883.
Sitting Bull was to be arrested because James McLaughlin thought that Sitting Bull was going to run away and join the Ghost Dancers. On December 15, 1890 at 5:30 in the morning three police and four volunteers surrounded Sitting Bull's house. They knocked on the door and told him that he was under arrest and must come outside. They told Sitting Bull to mount a horse because the Indian Affaurs needed to see him and then he could go home. Sitting Bull refused. The police used force on him. Sitting Bull's people were enraged. A Sioux known as Catch-The-Bear shot Bullhead (who was the person who took charge to arrest Sitting Bull). Bullhead, in return, fired his gun into the chest of Sitting Bull. Another police officer named Red Tomahawk, shot Sitting Bull in the head. The chief dropped to the ground. A close-quartered fight erupted and within minutes several men were dead. Six policemen were killed immediately and two more died shortly after the fight. Sitting Bull and seven of his supporters lay dead, along with two horses. Sitting Bull is buried in Mobridge, South Dakota. He died at age 58-59.
Sitting Bull had many wives. They are Light Hair, Four Robes, Snow-On-Her, Seen-By-Her-Nation, and Scarlet Woman. Sitting Bull adopted some of his children, but not all of them were adopted. One Bull (adopted) and Crow Foot were his children. He also had two daughters named Many Horses and Walks Looking. Jumping Bull was Sitting Bull's father. Her-Holy-Door was his mother. He had a half brother named Big Foot. White Bull was Sitting Bull's nephew.
Sitting Bull fought in many wars. Some wars that Sitting Bull was involved in are not well known. Sitting Bull fought in a war between the Lakota and the Crow. That war earned him one of his father's names. That is how his name became Sitting Bull. Sitting Bull's people were attacked by the US Army, but this was not a war. Sitting Bull led numerous war parties against Fort Berthold, Fort Stevenson, and Fort Buford and their surrounding areas between the years 1865 and 1868. This became known as the Red Cloud's War (because Red Cloud signed a treaty to stop storming the forts and Sitting Bull continued to storm places in the late 1860's and early 1870's). Sitting Bull fought many US workers that interfered with his land. Many of the Lakata bands sided with the Cheyenne during the Plains Wars (a more accurate name would be The Great Cheyenne War). Sitting Bull was not afraid of war. He once said, "The Great Spirit has given our enemies to us. We are to destroy them. We do not know who they are. They may be soldiers". In one battle he prepared by being a spiritual Chief. He performed the Sun Dance, in which he fasted and sacrificed over 100 pieces of flesh off his arms. Sitting Bull is most famous for his work in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Once the US Army left some men in the native land to fix some wagons. Sitting Bull saw an opportunity and grasped it. He lead an attack on the workers with 100 of his people with him. Sitting Bull was shot in the left hip by a soldier. The bullet exited out through the small of his back. Luckily the wound was not too bad.
Sitting Bull heard about the Black Hill Gold Rush from the US and tried to move his people to the Black Hills. The US government increasingly pressured to open the Black Hills to mining and settlements. In November 1875, the government ordered all Sioux bands outside of the Great Sioux Reservation to move onto the reservation. If they refused then they would be considered "hostiles". Sitting Bull was exiled to Canada because he refused to surrender. He stayed there for many years. He met Chief Crowfoot, who was the leader of the Black Foot people. Sitting Bull liked Crowfoot so much, that he named one of his sons after him. Hunger and desperation eventually forced Sitting Bull and 186 of his family and followers to return to the United States. They surrendered on July 19, 1881. After leaving Canada, Sitting Bull waited for the rest of his tribe to follow him. After two weeks, the army transferred Sitting Bull and his band to Fort Yates. He was later transferred to Fort Randall to be held as prisoners of war. They spent 20 months there and returned north to the Standing Rock Agency in May 1883.
Sitting Bull was to be arrested because James McLaughlin thought that Sitting Bull was going to run away and join the Ghost Dancers. On December 15, 1890 at 5:30 in the morning three police and four volunteers surrounded Sitting Bull's house. They knocked on the door and told him that he was under arrest and must come outside. They told Sitting Bull to mount a horse because the Indian Affaurs needed to see him and then he could go home. Sitting Bull refused. The police used force on him. Sitting Bull's people were enraged. A Sioux known as Catch-The-Bear shot Bullhead (who was the person who took charge to arrest Sitting Bull). Bullhead, in return, fired his gun into the chest of Sitting Bull. Another police officer named Red Tomahawk, shot Sitting Bull in the head. The chief dropped to the ground. A close-quartered fight erupted and within minutes several men were dead. Six policemen were killed immediately and two more died shortly after the fight. Sitting Bull and seven of his supporters lay dead, along with two horses. Sitting Bull is buried in Mobridge, South Dakota. He died at age 58-59.
E. H. Willowcreek Middle School
Last Revised on March 28, 2013
Last Revised on March 28, 2013