Sitting Bull, Native American name Tatanka Yotanka (1831?-1890),
Native American leader of the Sioux, born in the region of the Grand River in
present-day South Dakota. Led by Sitting Bull, the Sioux resisted efforts of
the United States government to annex their lands and force them to settle on
reservations. Between June 25 and June 26, 1876, the Sioux, with the aid of
other tribes, annihilated a punitive expedition commanded by Lieutenant Colonel
George Armstrong Custer in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Sitting Bull and
his followers then fled to Canada. Receiving a promise of amnesty in 1881 and
suffering hardship and famine, he returned to U.S. territory. Sitting Bull was
put in prison for two years and then settled on a reservation. He continued to
be hostile to the settlers.
In 1885 Sitting Bull was allowed to leave the reservation to tour
with the Wild West show of Buffalo Bill. There is speculation that permission
was given because the Native American police wanted Sitting Bull off the
reservation to prevent him from creating problems. The tense situation among
the Sioux was aggravated by followers of the Native American messiah Wovoka,
who promised the defeat of the whites. Wovoka introduced the ghost dance, which
was supposed to help the Native Americans regain their lands and live in peace.
The ghost dance gave the Sioux hope and added to their restlessness. The army
feared an uprising and believed that Sitting Bull was the leading instigator.
They had him arrested on December 15, 1890. As he was being led away over the
objections of his supporters, a gunfight erupted during which Sitting Bull and
12 others were killed.
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