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The exact birthdate of the Sitting Bull isn’t known, although it is believed he was born sometime between 1831 and 1834. It is known that he was born on the Grand River in what is now known as South Dakota. The Sioux called the area “Many Caches” which was a reference to the large number of food storage pits which had been dug in the area. Sitting Bull’s childhood name wasn’t Sitting Bull but “Hunkesni, which in Sioux means ”slow.”
It was later as a adolescent after showing great bravery in battle against the Crow Indians that his father changed his name to “Tatanka-Iyotanka.” In Sioux Tatanka-Iyotanka describes a buffalo bull that is sitting on its haunches that is immovable, or “Sitting Bull.” After his renaming, Sitting Bull lived up to his name.
Another known fact is that he was a famous medicine man of the Hunkpapa band of Teton Sioux Indians. Many believe Sitting Bull was the chief of the Sioux Indians that defeated Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer at the battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876 when in actuality, he only acted as the main medicine man in the battle preparations. He was a great man among the Sioux as it was he who united the northern plains Indian tribes of the Sioux and Cheyenne in their struggle against their enemies.
In 1875 legend states that Sitting Bull received a vision. In this vision he saw where all his enemies would be delivered into his hands and be defeated. Beginning in the spring of 1876 Sitting Bull led a “sun dance” and told the Sioux that the way of defeating the white man was to change their way of fighting. Up until this time battles were a way for the warriors to show off or prove their bravery. During this sun dance Sitting Bull convinced the Sioux warriors that they should fight to kill. He also convinced them they that if they didn’t change their fighting techniques, the Indians would lose all their lands to the white people. It was due to the Sioux Indians listening to and following Sitting Bull’s advice that the Battle of The Little Big Horn was a Sioux victory.
Sitting Bull had always been defiant where the United States Government was involved and as stated, worked to unite the northern plains Indians against the Federals. While he was doing this in 1876, Custer’s regiment had joined General Alfred H. Terry’s troops whose task was to force the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians onto reservations.
As dawn broke upon the morning of June 25, 1876, Custer had separated from Terry’s group and his scouts had found an Indian village in the valley along the Little Bighorn River. After hearing of this village Custer worked under the impression there were only 1,000 warriors. He also believed his 650 soldiers could capture the village easily. He found out differently during the attack when the 1,000 Indian warriors actually numbered over 2,000 and led by Chief Crazy Horse, Red Cloud and the medicine man Sitting Bull. In fact, this gathering of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors was probably the largest ever seen in history.
Unbelievably Custer split his regiment into three groups and attacked immediately. One of these groups were led by Major Marcus Reno, one by Captain Frederick Benteen and the other was led by Custer himself. Following orders Major Reno and Captain Benteen quickly found themselves badly beaten and retreated to the hills on the far side of the river. Four miles away from them the Indian warriors had killed Custer and his entire troop of men. The battle had lasted only one hour.
The Indians continued to fight Reno and Benteen’s troops until June 26 but in the afternoon, disbanded and left the territory. Sitting Bull and his followers were eventually driven into Canada after the Battle of the Little Bighorn but while facing famine and hardship in 1881 he accepted the promise of amnesty by the United States government.
Upon his return Sitting Bull spent two years confined at Fort Randall in South Dakota. After his release he went to live on the Standing Rock Reservation. In 1885 Sitting Bull was given permission to join Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Many believe it was the hope of the government that with Sitting Bull gone from the reservation the Sioux would settle down and live peacefully.
Eventually returning to the reservation, Sitting Bull helped to start the “Ghost Dance” that gave the Sioux new hope for regaining their lands and living in peace off the reservation. The army was afraid this Ghost Dance would lead to an uprising and saw Sitting Bull as a possible instigator. On December 15, 1890 they arrested him and while his followers were objecting his arrest a gunfight broke out. During this fight Sitting Bull, his son and twelve others were killed.
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