Native AmericansNative Americans

In the West:In the West:

The Last StandThe Last Stand

Native American LandsNative American Lands1860-18901860-1890

Federal Indian Federal Indian PoliciesPolicies

• Killing of the Buffalo• Policy of Concentration

– reservation system (confinement)– settlers had free passage through

reservations– Why it Failed

• buffalo herds did not stay on reservation

• discovery of gold on Indian land

Santee Sioux Santee Sioux MassacreMassacre• 18621862

• Santee Sioux v. Minnesota SettlersSantee Sioux v. Minnesota Settlers• Andrew Myrick “Let them eat grass”Andrew Myrick “Let them eat grass”• over 400 settlers killedover 400 settlers killed• 303 Sioux sentenced to be hanged303 Sioux sentenced to be hanged

–only 38 were actually executed, the rest were pardoned by President Lincoln

• November 28, 1864

• Chief Black Kettle and Cheyenne

• Colonel Chivington and US Army

• over 450 Cheyenne killed

• Mystery of History – considered a massacre

• 1862-1876

• Chief Red Cloud and Chief Sitting Bull

• Black Hills of South Dakota

• Technology led to defeat– telegraph, railroad, six-shot Colt

revolver, machine guns, Buffalo Soldiers

Sioux WarsSioux Wars

Battle of Little Big HornBattle of Little Big Horn(a.k.a. Custer’s Last Stand)(a.k.a. Custer’s Last Stand)

• June 1876

• Sioux v. General Custer and the US Army

• Little Big Horn River (Greasy Grass)

• Chief Sitting Bull

• Crazy Horse

• Huge Sioux Victory

• Last Native American victory ever

Dawes Act• Goal - To Americanize the Natives

– Native America peoples should be assimilated into white culture• End to traditional native lifestyles• Method/Plan

– reservation lands broken into plots of land given to individuals– taxes paid on land supported white Christian schools and all

children had to attend these schools– Native Americans who accepted this could become citizens and

be protected by law, if not - no protection– reservation land ratio - 47 million acres went to Native

Americans, 90 million acres went to white settlers

Ghost Dance• Wovoka, a Paiute• Blend of Paiute Religions and Christianity• 1880s• New world order

– return of the buffalo– resurrection of slain native peoples– peaceful North America void of all whites

• Last attempt to keep hope alive• Scared US Army who thought this was a military movement

Ghost Dance

• 18901890

• Chief Big Foot, Sioux

• Wounded Knee Reservation

• US Army tried to “disarm” the tribeUS Army tried to “disarm” the tribe

• A deaf Sioux man accidentally shot off a rifleA deaf Sioux man accidentally shot off a rifle

• Army opened fire on the Sioux killing over 95% Army opened fire on the Sioux killing over 95% of the Sioux bandof the Sioux band

The soldiers opened fire -- with rifles, revolvers, and

finally, the cannon that hurled exploding shells

into the tipis. The Lakotas did their best to fight back. When the shooting finally stopped, some 250 men,

women and children were dead.