In the year of 1831 many Indian babies where being born, at the Grand River “present day South Dakota.” There was one little Indian boy who everyone admired a lot. On that night he was born there was a great dance all Indian children, babies, women, men, warriors, and chiefs gathered in a celebration. Later in the month they came with great news his name would be called Tatanka-Iyotanka.

When Tatanka-Iyotanka was old enough to fight he became a great warrior. He fought with the Hunkpapa Sioux Indians. He had many admires. In the begging of the year 1872 his name was changed to Sitting Bull as he was changed to a chief of the Sioux Indians. In this same year Sitting Bull and 4 other warriors of his band were so brave they walked in the middle of war while soldiers where protecting railroad workers, they sat down and started smoking a peace pipe to show just how brave they where.

On June 26, 1876 the great battle of Little Big Horn took place. As George A. Custer saw the band of Indians he thought there was only a thousand of them. At the battle of Little Big Horn it was believed to have been the biggest gathering of Sioux and Cheyenne in history. There were over two thousand warriors. The Sioux Indians killed Custer. The great Sioux women punched his ears out so he could hear well in his next life. After the battle the two thousand warriors did a “Sun Dance” trying to change their great way of fighting against the white men.

In the year of 1880 Sitting Bull and his followers escaped into Canada making it through dominion officials. After the deadly battle of Little Big Horn. Sitting Bull was a man with many believes. His nationality was no different from ours his was American. He was a man with many occupations; he was a Leader, Tribal chief, and a Medicine Man. For many years of his life.

After all of the traveling and escaping. Once into Canada Sitting Bull and his band settled down after a while, they were trying to think of anew name for their tribe. Finally in the year following the year 1881 they decided to call themselves the Buffalo Nation. Near the end of 1881 they went back into the U.S. As soon as they got there they surrendered at Fort Buford, Montana. Him and his tribe sat there for two years.

In the year of 1883 he was placed on Standing Rock Reservation, South Dakota and because he continued to regard himself as chief he earned the enmity of Indian agent James McLaughlin. Sitting Bull and his followers were afraid to change his and their religion for he thought it might bring great trouble to him and his people.

In the year 1885 they’re where many challenges Sitting Bull and his band faced. One really big one was moving away from their land and was being placed on reservations so that the white man could be happy and have what they wanted. In this same year Sitting Bull was given permission to join Buffalo bill’s Wild Wild West Show.

Sitting Bull’s father was one of the most well known members of the Hunkpapa band of Sioux. He was a great leader.  After many years pasted things started to settle down and get calm. Although the Indians didn’t like changing into the white men’s way of life many of them got better and soon got great at it. All the Indians didn’t like leaving their homeland away from the waving grass and the wide range of buffalo, which they used every part of it nothing went to waste on it.

As many of the Sioux Indians followed Sitting Bull onto reservations, they found out why Sitting Bull stayed their because the white man treated him very well so that they could keep him away from his followers so they wouldn’t turn on the Americans and start more wars and cause more than what they have already caused.

On December 15, 1890 Sitting Bull was placed under police authority on an Indian reservation. Many of his followers and other chiefs where here at this time too. On that afternoon when tribal police tried to take Sitting Bull away he quickly noticed that if he planned to get away it would be a great challenge for him to face. Later that evening when Tribal police tried and started to take him away he started his plan too. (His plan was to try and start a big riot and escape.)  When his followers tried to prevent this and in the struggle two other chiefs shot Sitting Bull in the back of the head.

The chiefs that lead to Sitting Bull’s death were Red Tomahawk and Bull Head. These two chiefs later became great leaders in the replacement of Sitting Bulls death.

Zach Robb Rossville Jr. High 2002 Plains Project Bibliography Picture Gallery