Sitting Bull: ''Tatanka Iyotake'' (American Heroes)

AN H C I ER R OES AME

S

ITTING

BULL

“Tatanka Iyotake” BY SNEED B. COLLARD III

CA I R E

N H ER

O

M

A

E S

SITTING BULL “Tatanka Iyotake”

AME

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C I R

AN H ER OES

ITTING

BULL

“Tatanka Iyotake”

SNEED B. COLLARD III

Writing about Tatanka Iyotake MANY BOOKS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN about the famous Lakota chief Tatanka Iyotake, or Sitting Bull. Most, however, are written from the outside looking in. The authors—like myself—were not Lakota and had limited understanding of Lakota culture, language, and history. Those who wrote about Sitting Bull usually did not ask close family members of the chief about their famous relative. In writing this book, however, I was extremely fortunate to speak with Sitting Bull’s great-grandson, Ernie LaPointe. Mr. LaPointe has been collecting stories about his great-grandfather from his family and many other sources. He has uncovered new information that gives us a better, more accurate understanding of the life and times of Sitting Bull and has been generous in sharing that information with me. As a result, some of the information in this book is different from what you’ll find in other books. The great chief ’s birthplace, the meaning of his name, his actions at the Battle of the Little Bighorn—all of this is information that has not been included in any other children’s book. Mr. LaPointe has produced a two-part film about Sitting Bull that is well worth watching: The Authorized Biography of Sitting Bull by His Great Grandson. Part one is called The Making of a Leader. Part two is entitled Thank You Grandfather, We Still Live. Both feature Ernie talking about his great-grandfather. If you cannot find them in your library, the films may be ordered from the ReelContact Web site: http://www.reelcontact.com/ —Sneed B. Collard III

C ONTENTS Sitting Bull 1 Important Dates 34 Words to Know 35 To Learn More about Sitting Bull 37 Index 39

Sitting Bull’s people probably didn’t expect much from him when he was a child.

s a boy, Sitting Bull carefully studied the animals, people, and land around him. He took his time thinking about things and making decisions. Others nicknamed him “Slow” because they thought he was stupid. Sitting Bull would change their minds.

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Sitting Bull was born in May 1831 along the Yellowstone River in what is now Montana. His parents were named Jumping Bull and Her Holy Door. When he was born, Sitting Bull was named Jumping Badger because his father saw a badger playing nearby. Later, his father would give his son a new name: Tatanka Iyotake. The name means “a-buffalo-bull-that-sits-down.” Others would shorten the name to Sitting Bull.

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Sitting Bull’s parents named him Jumping Badger at birth. His father would give him the name Tatanka Iyotake later.

The Lakota Nation occupied the states of Montana, Wyoming, and North and South Dakota.

Sitting Bull belonged to the Lakota Nation. Americans often called this group of people the Teton Sioux (pronounced TEE-ton SUE). In the early 1800s, the Lakota Nation occupied huge parts of the Great Plains, in present-day Montana, North and South Dakota, and Wyoming. Several tribes made up the Lakota. Sitting Bull’s tribe was the Hunkpapa.

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The Lakota depended on buffalo for food, clothing, shelter, and many other things. Learning how to hunt these large animals was as important as knowing how to breathe. Jumping Bull asked his brother Four Horns to teach Sitting Bull to hunt. When Four Horns led his nephew out on his first hunt, he warned Sitting Bull to be careful. Buffalo were big, dangerous animals. A boy could easily get knocked off his horse and trampled.

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Like other Plains Indians, Sitting Bull’s people depended on the buffalo to survive.

Sitting Bull’s first buffalo hunt proved he had courage and wisdom.

Instead of being careful, Sitting Bull charged into the herd. He rode his horse straight toward a large, powerful bull and fired his arrow. The buffalo fell dead. Four Horns asked his nephew why he had shot a big bull when a safer cow stood nearby. Sitting Bull replied that the buffalo cow had a calf. If he had killed the mother, he asked, how would the calf survive? This first buffalo hunt showed everyone that Sitting Bull had great courage. Even more, it showed that he had wisdom and heart.

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Over the next few years, Sitting Bull sharpened his hunting skills. He provided meat for his own family and other families. He also proved himself in battle against his people’s enemies, such as the Crow and Assiniboine. While still a teenager, Sitting Bull was invited to join the Hunkpapa’s bravest, best warriors, the Strong Hearts. He began taking a leadership role in his tribe. The Lakota would need his leadership. In the years to come, they would face many trials.

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This drawing by Sitting Bull depicts his skill as a warrior.

The arrival of settlers from the eastern United States created conflict with Plains tribes.

The 1800s were a time of conflict between the peoples of the Great Plains and the people of the United States. During the 1840s and 1850s, large numbers of settlers from the United States headed west. Most traveled along the Oregon Trail—through Lakota territory. As they went, the settlers killed buffalo and other game animals. Occasionally, bands of Lakota would attack some of these settlers. Even though this was Lakota land, the United States sent soldiers to protect the settlers’ interests. In 1854, a series of conflicts began over a settler’s stray cow in Wyoming. This finally resulted in the army killing about one hundred Lakota people in a nearby village. Many of the victims were women and children. Other fights—and killings—followed.

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At first, the troubles happened south or east of where Sitting Bull and the Hunkpapa lived. By the 1860s, however, miners were rushing to goldfields in Montana. The army began to build new forts and roads in the heart of Lakota territory. The Lakota went to war. Many Lakota were led by the war chief Red Cloud. Red Cloud attacked soldiers, settlers, and forts. His warriors won many victories.

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Chief Red Cloud and his warriors won many victories.

In 1868 Sitting Bull’s Uncle Four Horns called together a great gathering of tribes.

The Hunkpapa did not fight in all of these battles, but they knew that more trouble was coming. To face this trouble, Sitting Bull’s Uncle Four Horns called a great gathering of Plains people. Many members of Lakota, Cheyenne, and Yanktonnai tribes attended. Sitting Bull, who had by now become an important chief, was there too. At the meeting, the leaders did something that had never been done before. They chose one man to lead them all. That man was Sitting Bull.

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The leaders picked another great chief, Crazy Horse, to be Sitting Bull’s second-in-command. Together, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were perfect choices. Everyone knew of their bravery and generosity. But Sitting Bull also had special powers. He spoke with birds and other animals that helped him make wise decisions. Many times, he had “visions” of the future that came true.

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Birds and other animals helped Sitting Bull make wise decisions.

In 1874 a gold rush began in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Thousands of miners flooded the region. This angered Sitting Bull and other Lakota leaders. The Black Hills were sacred lands. They belonged to the Lakota only. Instead of making the miners leave, the United States ordered all Lakota to move onto small pieces of land called reservations. On reservations, the Lakota would no longer be free to roam the plains and hunt the buffalo. Their way of life would be over. Many Lakota refused to move to the reservations. Instead, they—along with members of other Plains tribes—joined Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

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Many Lakota refused to move onto reservations. Instead, they joined Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

Sitting Bull did not want to fight the United States. But when he refused to lead his people onto a reservation, the United States sent in a large army. On June 17, 1876, 1,300 U.S. soldiers fought against Crazy Horse and between 600 and 700 warriors. The warriors drove the soldiers back. A week later, about 500 men of the army’s Seventh Cavalry rode toward a place called the Greasy Grass, or the Little Bighorn. These troops were led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer.

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An army under the command of George Armstrong Custer gathered at a place called the Little Bighorn.

At the Little Bighorn, Custer’s soldiers met up with the Plains warriors.

Custer was sure he could defeat any tribes that he found. But Custer didn’t know that Sitting Bull now had about 2,000 warriors camped with him. On the morning of June 25, Custer approached Sitting Bull’s camp. Hundreds of Plains warriors poured out to meet Custer’s army. Sitting Bull was ready to fight also, but his mother stopped him. She told him to let the other warriors have glory this day. While the battle raged, Sitting Bull proved himself a great leader once more by getting the Lakota women, children, and elderly to safety. Within a few hours, the fighting was over. The warriors of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse had killed Custer and crushed his army.

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Even after Custer’s defeat, the United States Army continued to pursue Sitting Bull. The great leader and many of his tribe fled to Canada. By this time, hunters and soldiers had killed almost all of the buffalo in the United States. In Canada, there were more buffalo, but over-hunting by the Indians quickly reduced their numbers, too. Without the buffalo, the Lakota could not survive. In 1881, Sitting Bull and the last of his followers returned to the United States. He turned over his gun and said, “I wish it to be remembered that I was the last man of my tribe to surrender my rifle.”

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In 1881 Sitting Bull and the last of his followers surrendered to the United States Army.

Sitting Bull hated life on the Standing Rock Reservation.

Sitting Bull was forced to live on the Standing Rock Reservation. He hated reservation life. He once told a soldier, “The Great Spirit made me an Indian, but not a reservation Indian. I would rather go hungry when game is scarce than receive daily rations and lose my liberty.” By now, though, Sitting Bull had become one of the most famous men in America. In 1884 he traveled east. He met with large crowds. In 1885 he toured with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Everywhere, people wanted to see the brave, proud chief who had fought— and defeated—Colonel Custer.

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After his travels, Sitting Bull returned to the Standing Rock Reservation. He spoke out against new laws that would take even more Indian lands. He did everything he could to keep Lakota traditions alive. The man in charge of the Standing Rock Reservation was named James McLaughlin. He feared Sitting Bull and the influence he had over the Lakota. In 1890 McLaughlin sent the tribe’s Indian policemen to arrest Sitting Bull. Instead, they killed him and his son, Crow Foot.

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Crow Foot died with his father, murdered by the Indian police.

Sitting Bull’s life inspires us to work for justice for all people.

Today, Sitting Bull is remembered as a great American. He was never afraid to fight, but like many great leaders, he was never afraid to make peace, either. He led the Lakota people during a terrible, difficult time in their history. He led them with wisdom, courage, and caring. Sitting Bull’s life ended tragically, but today he inspires all Americans to work for justice and a more noble way of life.

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I MPORTANT DATES 1831 Born as Jumping Badger

1874 Gold miners invade

in May along the Yellowstone River.

1845 or so Given name

Lakota lands in the Black Hills.

1876 Sitting Bull and Crazy

Tatanka Iyotake, or Sitting Bull, by his father.

mid-1840s Invited to join Strong Hearts, the Hunkpapa warrior society.

Horse defeat Colonel George A. Custer at Little Bighorn.

1876 Sitting Bull and followers flee to Canada.

1881 Sitting Bull returns to the

1857 Chosen as Hunkpapa tribal war chief.

United States and surrenders.

1885 Tours with Buffalo Bill’s

1860s Conflicts with U.S. settlers and soldiers increase.

Wild West Show.

1890 Murdered at the Standing

1868 Lakota, Cheyenne, and

Rock Reservation.

Yanktonnai tribes unite under the leadership of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

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WORDS

TO

K NOW

band A small group of people who live together. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show A traveling show that portrayed—often incorrectly—western life during the 1800s. The show included buffalo hunts, fights with native peoples, and performances of famous historical events.

Great Plains The vast area of dry grasslands in the United States and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains.

Great Spirit The all-powerful god of many Indian tribes. Hunkpapa Sitting Bull’s tribe of the Lakota Nation. Lakota A powerful nation of Plains people consisting of seven tribes, or subgroups. They lived mainly in the area of eastern Montana and the western parts of North and South Dakota. Also known as the Teton Sioux.

nation A large group of Native Americans who share common history, customs, and beliefs. They are usually composed of several smaller groups of closely related peoples, known as tribes.

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Oregon Trail The major route used by settlers traveling to the West Coast in the mid-1800s.

reservation Land set aside by the government where Native Americans were forced to live.

tribe A group of people who have the same ancestors, social customs, and beliefs. Several tribes make up a nation.

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TO L EARN M ORE ABOUT S ITTING BULL WEB SITES New Perspectives on the West http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/sittingbull.htm

BOOKS Boy Called Slow: The True Story of Sitting Bull by Joseph Bruchac. Penguin Young Readers, 1995. Chief Crazy Horse: Following a Vision by Larry Dane Brimner. Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009. Sitting Bull Remembers by Ann Turner. HarperCollins Publishers, 2007. Tatanka-Iyotanka: A Biography of Sitting Bull by Michael Crummett. Western National Parks Association, 2002.

VIDEOS The Authorized Biography of Sitting Bull by His Great Grandson, Part One: The Making of a Leader by Ernie LaPointe. ReelContact, 2007. 37

The Authorized Biography of Sitting Bull by His Great Grandson, Part Two: Thank You Grandfather, We Still Live by Ernie LaPointe. ReelContact, 2007.

PLACES TO VISIT Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument P.O. Box 39 Crow Agency, Montana 59022 PHONE: (406) 638-2623 WEB SITE: http://www.nps.gov/libi/ Museum of the Plains Indian P.O. Box 410 Browning, Montana 59417 PHONE: (406) 338-2230 WEB SITE: http://www.doi.gov/iacb/museums/museum_ plains.html The Plains Indian Museum at Buffalo Bill Historical Center 720 Sheridan Avenue Cody, Wyoming 82414 PHONE: (307) 587-4771 WEB SITE: http://www.bbhc.org/PIM/ Sioux Indian Museum at The Journey Museum 222 New York Street Rapid City, South Dakota 57701 PHONE: (605) 394-2381 WEB SITE: http://www.doi.gov/iacb/museums/museum_ plains.html TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SIT TING BULL

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I NDEX Page numbers for illustrations are in boldface. Black Hills of South Dakota, 20 buffalo, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 26 Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, 29

Jumping Bull (father), 2, 6 Lakota Nation, 4, 5–6 flees to Canada, 26 life on the Standing Rock Reservation, 30 and Little Bighorn, 22, 24, 25 refusal to move onto reservations, 20, 21, 22 surrenders to U.S. Army, 26, 27 at war with miners, 14, 17 Lakota territory building of forts and roads in, 14 U.S. settlers in, 12, 13 Little Bighorn, battle of, 22, 24, 25

Canada, 26 Crazy Horse, Chief, 18, 20, 22 Crow Foot (son), 30, 31 Custer, George Armstrong, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29 Four Horns (uncle), 6, 9, 16, 17 gold rush, 14, 20 Great Plains, 4, 5 Her Holy Door (mother), 2, 25 Hunkpapa tribe, 5

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McLaughlin, James, 30 miners, 14, 20

murder of, 30 refusal to move onto reservations, 20, 22 “Sitting Bull” name, 2 surrenders to U.S. Army, 26, 27 travels, 29–30 warrior skills, 10, 11 Standing Rock Reservation, 28, 29–30 Strong Hearts (warriors), 10

Oregon Trail, 13 Plains Indians, 5–7 great gathering of tribes, 16, 17 settlers and conflicts with, 12, 13 Red Cloud, Chief, 14, 15 reservations, 20, 21, 28, 29–30

Teton Sioux, 5

Sitting Bull, 1, 32 childhood and early years, 2, 3, 5–6 decisions made by, 18, 19 flees to Canada, 26 as a great American, 32, 33 hunting skills, 6, 8, 9–10 leadership role, 10, 17–18 life on the Standing Rock Reservation, 28, 29–30 and Little Bighorn, 24, 25

United States Lakota surrenders to U.S. Army, 26, 27 reservations, 20 settlers and conflicts with Plains tribes, 12, 13 U.S. Army and Little Bighorn, 22, 23, 24, 25

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A BOUT

THE

AUTHOR

SNEED B. COLLARD III is the author of more than fifty award-winning books for young people, including Science Warriors ; Wings; Pocket Babies; and the four-book SCIENCE ADVENTURES series for Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. In addition to his writing, Sneed is a popular speaker and presents widely to students, teachers, and the general public. In 2006, he was selected as the Washington Post– Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award winner for his achievements in children’s writing. He is also the author of several novels for young adults, including Dog Sense, Flash Point, and Double Eagle. To learn more about Sneed, visit his Web site at www.sneedbcollardiii.com.

for Audrey, Jacob, and Griffin Marshall Cavendish Benchmark 99 White Plains Road Tarrytown, New York 10591 www.marshallcavendish.us Text copyright © 2010 by Sneed B. Collard III All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the copyright holders. All Internet sites were available and accurate when this book was sent to press. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Collard, Sneed B. Tatanka Iyotake : Sitting Bull / by Sneed B. Collard III. p. cm. — (American heroes) Includes bibliographical references and index. Summary: “A juvenile biography of the famous Lakota chief who defeated General Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn”—Provided by publisher. ISBN 978-0-7614-4504-3 (e-book) 1. Sitting Bull, 1834?-1890—Juvenile literature. 2. Dakota Indians—Kings and rulers—Biography— Juvenile literature. 3. Hunkpapa Indians—Kings and rulers—Biography—Juvenile literature. 4. Little Bighorn, Battle of the, Mont., 1876—Juvenile literature. I. Title. E99.D1.S464 2009 978.004’9752440092—dc22 [B] 2008039790 Editor: Joyce Stanton Publisher: Michelle Bisson Art Director: Anahid Hamparian Series Designer: Anne Scatto Printed in Malaysia 1 3 5 6 4 2 Images provided by Debbie Needleman, Picture Researcher, Portsmouth, NH, from the following sources: Front cover: ©Smithsonian Institution/CORBIS. Back cover: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC/Art Resource, NY. Pages i, 34: ©Smithsonian Institution/CORBIS; page ii: ©Historical Picture Archive/CORBIS; page vi: Sioux Village (oil on canvas) by George Catlin (1794-1872). ©Private Collection/Peter Newark Western Americana/The Bridgeman Art Library; page 1: The Granger Collection, New York; page 3: Sioux mother and baby, c. 1830 (oil on canvas) by George Catlin (1794-1872). ©Private Collection/Peter Newark Western Americana/The Bridgeman Art Library; pages 4, 8: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC/Art Resource, NY; page 7: ©Art Media/HIP/The Image Works; page 11: National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Neg#08590600; page 12: Frederic Remington/The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty Images; page 15: The Art Archive/Whitney Purchase Fund/Buffalo Bill

Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming/3.61; page 16: Sioux Indian Council, 1852 (color litho) by Captain Seth Eastman (180875). ©Private Collection/Peter Newark American Pictures/The Bridgeman Art Library; page 19: ©Bloomimage/CORBIS; page 21: Sioux Indians on the Move (oil on canvas) by American School. ©Private Collection/Peter Newark Western Americana/The Bridgeman Art Library; page 23: General George Armstrong Custer (oil on canvas) by Henry H. Cross (1837-1918). ©Chicago History Museum, USA/The Bridgeman Art Library; page 24: Opening of the Battle of the Little Big Horn (ink on paper) by Amos Bad Heart Buffalo. ©Private Collection/The Stapleton Collection/The Bridgeman Art Library; page 27: Denver Public Library, Western History Collection, x-33625; page 28: ©CORBIS; page 31: Denver Public Library, Western History Collection, David Frances Barry, photographer, B-168; page 32: Courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, #BANC PIC 1942.009 FR

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