Sitting Bull Thesis

Sitting Bull or Tatanka Iyotake was one of the most prominent Native American leaders in all time. He was a Sioux tribe leader who located in the Great Plains region of modern day South Dakota around 1874 when gold was discovered in the Black Hills. Sitting Bull’s main focus was war and opposition of the American settlers. He began training and fighting in battles from the age of fourteen up to his death at age fifty-nine.
During Sitting Bull’s early years, he didn’t really interact or witness any white dominations or invasions. Sitting Bull didn’t come to contact with the white supremacy until about 1862 when the Sioux Indian tribes were beginning to be driven towards the West of the Great Plains. Once Sitting Bull witnessed how the whites demanded land and ran off the original owners and their families, he realized how cruel the whites were, he then decided to fight the white supremacy and never sign treaties with them especially if it included agreeing to move to a reservation. Sitting Bull, …show more content…
Sitting Bull made his sole focus to always fight the white supremacy and never let his tribe, his people, fall under them, it was their land, they cared for it and lived off of it. In the Battle of Little Bighorn, or as known by the Natives, Battle of Greasy Grass which occurred on June 25, 1876 at Little Bighorn River, Montana, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse led their tribes to victory against George Custer’s 7th Cavalry. Not only did they win the battle, Sitting Bull also performed a Sun Dance ceremony for thirty-six consecutive hours, as a sign of sacrifice Sitting Bull cut his arms and did not drink any water. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse led Sioux and Cheyenne Indians to battle Custer’s army. The Natives killed Custer and more than two-hundred of his