Lakota Tatanka Iyotake: Chief Sitting Bull

Sitting Bull by D F Barry around 1883

A well-known name in Indigenous history, Chief Sitting Bull, left an impressive legacy of honor and sacrifice for the Sioux Nation and his story continues to inspire us today. Against the backdrop of white invasion of indigenous lands, Sitting Bull was born to the Teton Sioux in 1831 near Grand River, Dakota in what is now South Dakota. [1] His father, Returns-Again, was a renowned Sioux warrior who first named his son “Jumping Badger.” His son was later given the name Tatanka-lyotanka, or Sitting Bull, at 14 years old for his demonstration of bravery and skill in battle. [2]

As a young man, Sitting Bull joined the Strong Heart Warrior Society and the Silent Eaters, a highly select group of tribesmen who ensured the welfare of the Sioux people. [3] Sitting Bull soon became a tribal leader and helped to extend the Sioux hunting territory westward into what had previously been the territories of the Shoshone, Crow, and Assiniboin tribes.

Sitting Bull’s first confrontation with white soldiers occurred in June of 1863 when the U.S. Army attacked the Santee Sioux in retaliation for the Minnesota Uprising. Again in July of 1864, Sitting Bull faced the U.S. military at the Battle of Killdeer Mountain when U.S. forces under General Alfred Sully surrounded an Indian trading village and forced the Sioux into retreat. This unsuccessful encounter prompted Sitting Bull to promise himself that he would never sign a treaty with the U.S. government that would force his people onto a reservation. [4] 

Sitting Bull’s resolve to resist the United States government in their attempts to relocate the Sioux onto reservations was not shared with other leaders of the Sioux nation. In 1868, Mahpiua Luta, or Red Cloud, chief of the Oglala Teton Dakota Sioux, signed the Fort Laramie Treaty with 24 other tribal leaders and U.S. representatives. The treaty created the Great Sioux Reservation. [5]

Although the treaty had been signed, many Sioux still shared Sitting Bull’s anti-reservation sentiments. With his respect and followers in the Sioux community growing, Sitting Bull became the head chief of the Lakota Sioux Nation for his bravery and insight into the needs and wants of the Sioux people. He was the first member of the Sioux nation to be given this prestigious title, yet it was well deserved. [6]

Gold was soon discovered in the surrounding Black Hills, a sacred place to the Sioux people and within the boundaries of the Great Sioux Reservation. [7] Following this discovery, The U.S. government went back on the agreements put forth in the Fort Laramie Treaty and demanded that any Sioux who resisted relocation to the reservation lines by January 31, 1876, would be considered an enemy of the United States. With these inhumane demands, Sitting Bull was expected to move his people 240 miles during the harsh winter season. [8]

Unwilling to meet the demands of the United States, a battle ensued between Sitting Bull and the U.S. Army in 1874. General George Armstrong Custer led an expedition into the Black Hills but his forces were soon overcome by the 3,000 Sioux, who killed Custer and his entire army of 600 men. This famous Sioux victory became known as Custer’s Last Stand. [9]

After an alarming defeat, the U.S. army doubled its efforts to hunt the Sioux. Coupled with a severe lack of resources from the encroachment of white settlers on Native lands, this forced Sitting Bull and his people into surrender in July of 1881. [10]

Sitting Bull’s story did not end here. After surrendering to the U.S. Army, he became a prisoner of war in South Dakota for two years before being moved to Standing Rock reservation. During his time on the reservation, Sitting Bull was occasionally allowed to travel. During his travels, he became friends with Annie Oakley with whom he later joined in performing for the Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show. [11]

Standing Rock Reservation became a center of controversy when the Ghost Dance Movement gained popularity. Many Native Americans believed this dance would bring back deceased tribe members and white settlers invading their lands would disappear. Worried Sitting Bull would join the movement and incite rebellion, The U.S. government decided to arrest him in December of 1890. When Indian police advanced on his cabin, Sitting Bull refused his arrest and was shot by Indian police. [12]

Blog by Kate Hodgson

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References:

History.com Editors. “Sitting Bull.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/sitting-bull.

“Sitting Bull.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 8 Aug. 2019, www.nps.gov/libi/learn/historyculture/sitting-bull.htm.

“Tatanka-Iyotanka (Aka Sitting Bull).” Online Exhibits, University of Michigan Library, apps.lib.umich.edu/online-exhibits/exhibits/show/great-native-american-chiefs/group-of-native-american-chief/chief--sitting-bull--aka-tatan.