Gary C. Anderson wrote the biography Sitting Bull and the Paradox of Lakota Nationhood in an effort to tell the story, from Sitting Bull’s perspective, of how the Lakota nationhood were committed to defend their land as well as examine the goals and purposes of the American culture to dominate upon them. Despite the factionalisms, encouraged by the federal government, in the Lakota that led to the division of the nationhood, Sitting Bull is considered one of the most significant and influential Native Americans in history because he would always look out for the best interest of the Sioux tribe and the Lakota nation by standing up against the American army who was interested in the relocation of Indians and the creation of reservations.
It all started in the late 1800’s when the Americans began to invade the lands west to the Mississippi River because the federal government wanted to expand the U.S. territory. They believed that because they carried the dual banner of civilization and Christianity, they had the right to take the land (pg. 3). Americans saw the land as an unoccupied region, but the truth is that the land was the homeland of Sitting Bull and his Sioux people – the Lakota nation. Anderson explains that the Americans had made a wrong perception of the Indians, since they were viewed as savages (pg. 3). The Indians possessed a sophisticated culture and government. They were divided into seven tribes and each spoke their own language, which developed a sense of identity and nationalism between them and allowed them to organize political and social institutions that kept the order in the nation. The Lakota were able to form a unique economy that influenced their socio-political structure. They strongly relied on the buffalo hunt to provide for their food, clothing, shelter and religious purposes. One of the reasons they divided in tribes was to protect the Buffalo, since it was their main source of sustainability. The Lakota nation was very close and always looked out for one another. A clear example of this was Sitting Bull, who stood up for their nation against the American army. Sitting Bull was born around 1831 on the Grand River and since he was a young boy he showed potential as a leader. His father was Jumping Ball, a warrior and hunter, and his mother was Her Holy Door. As it was a tradition, he was raised by his uncles Four Horns and Looks-For-Him-In-A-Tent, who were the most important role models in his life. With them, he learned the arts of hunting and warfare and his intense training began after he was able to mount a horse. Some of the skills to learn were how to fire a weapon accurately from a fast-moving horse and how to act under the stresses of the buffalo …show more content…
At first, the Sioux fought for their territory and were not willing to allow the Americans to stay but everything changed after they developed factions that caused major Indian divisions. Some Sioux believed that if they fought against the federal government, they would be outnumbered and lose everything they owned, while others, including Sitting Bull, were against the federal government and its army and believed they should fight against them. Anderson explains it better when he writes: “the more Sitting Bull and his followers sought to unify and define Lakota nationhood, and the more it seemed so distinctly different from what the Americans had to offer, the more the Lakota leadership faced factionalism and decay” (pg. …show more content…
Therefore, the government created The Fort Laramie Treaty that would limit the white settlers from entering those areas, but failed to follow it through. Because of the fights the Sioux were causing, the government created a “Great Sioux” reservation and suggested the Indians to relocate to this camp. After their attempt to purchase the Black Hills from the Indians, they mandated all Lakota to settle on the reservation by January 31, 1876. Many Indians lost their homes and food rations in the winter that they surrendered to the troops and went to the reservations. Sitting Bull and his tribe refused to be part of the reservations and be forced to leave their customs that they decided they would rather
It all started in the late 1800’s when the Americans began to invade the lands west to the Mississippi River because the federal government wanted to expand the U.S. territory. They believed that because they carried the dual banner of civilization and Christianity, they had the right to take the land (pg. 3). Americans saw the land as an unoccupied region, but the truth is that the land was the homeland of Sitting Bull and his Sioux people – the Lakota nation. Anderson explains that the Americans had made a wrong perception of the Indians, since they were viewed as savages (pg. 3). The Indians possessed a sophisticated culture and government. They were divided into seven tribes and each spoke their own language, which developed a sense of identity and nationalism between them and allowed them to organize political and social institutions that kept the order in the nation. The Lakota were able to form a unique economy that influenced their socio-political structure. They strongly relied on the buffalo hunt to provide for their food, clothing, shelter and religious purposes. One of the reasons they divided in tribes was to protect the Buffalo, since it was their main source of sustainability. The Lakota nation was very close and always looked out for one another. A clear example of this was Sitting Bull, who stood up for their nation against the American army. Sitting Bull was born around 1831 on the Grand River and since he was a young boy he showed potential as a leader. His father was Jumping Ball, a warrior and hunter, and his mother was Her Holy Door. As it was a tradition, he was raised by his uncles Four Horns and Looks-For-Him-In-A-Tent, who were the most important role models in his life. With them, he learned the arts of hunting and warfare and his intense training began after he was able to mount a horse. Some of the skills to learn were how to fire a weapon accurately from a fast-moving horse and how to act under the stresses of the buffalo …show more content…
At first, the Sioux fought for their territory and were not willing to allow the Americans to stay but everything changed after they developed factions that caused major Indian divisions. Some Sioux believed that if they fought against the federal government, they would be outnumbered and lose everything they owned, while others, including Sitting Bull, were against the federal government and its army and believed they should fight against them. Anderson explains it better when he writes: “the more Sitting Bull and his followers sought to unify and define Lakota nationhood, and the more it seemed so distinctly different from what the Americans had to offer, the more the Lakota leadership faced factionalism and decay” (pg. …show more content…
Therefore, the government created The Fort Laramie Treaty that would limit the white settlers from entering those areas, but failed to follow it through. Because of the fights the Sioux were causing, the government created a “Great Sioux” reservation and suggested the Indians to relocate to this camp. After their attempt to purchase the Black Hills from the Indians, they mandated all Lakota to settle on the reservation by January 31, 1876. Many Indians lost their homes and food rations in the winter that they surrendered to the troops and went to the reservations. Sitting Bull and his tribe refused to be part of the reservations and be forced to leave their customs that they decided they would rather