Native Americans

Culture and Change

Culture

• Some Native Americans were farmers, most were nomads following buffalo herds

• Native Am lived in extended family groups

• Dependent on nature for food and religion

• Lived in bands of 500 headed by governing council

• Gender determined task assignment

Changes under Pressure

• Ranchers, miners, and farmers move into Plains territory

• Result deprived Native Am of hunting grounds and forced to relocate

• Railroad building through plains territory

• Disruption of buffalo herds

Resistance

• 1862 Sioux uprising; Sioux moved to reservations in Minnesota

• Government promise payments to support themselves

• Traders keep payments to pay off debts

• 1862 Congress delayed payments

• Dakota tribe faced starvation; denied credit to buy food

Sioux uprising

• Chief Little Crow wage war against soldiers not civilians

• Lost control of warriors- slaughter civilians

• Military tribunal sentenced 307 Dakota Indians to death- only 38 executed

• Military troops sent to patrol plains to prevent further uprisings

Lakota Indians

• Chief Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull

• Fight to control their hunting grounds

• 1866 Military defeated by Red Cloud

• Fetterman’s Massacre- Crazy Horse ambush army

• Sand Creek Massacre- between Cheyenne, Arapaho and miners

Sand Creek cont.

• Native Am attacked wagon trains, stole horses and cattle; 200 settlers killed

• Native Am orders to surrender at Fort Lyons and some complied

• 1864 Remaining Indians under Chief Black Kettle seek peace; told to wait at Sand Creek

• No one knows what really happened

Sand Creek cont.

• Some say Chief Black Kettle flew both the American flag and white truce flag

• Some say the army brutally murdered the Indians

• Others say they battled for two days and in the end 14 soldiers died and anywhere from 60-600 Native Americans died

Indian Peace Commission

• Formed in 1867

• Created two large reservation for Sioux and Southern Plains Indians

• Bureau of Indian Affairs put in charge

• Native Am were forced to sign treaties

• Did not guarantee compliance with terms

• Result- Indians on reservation faced poverty and corruption

Last Native American Wars

• By 1870’s many Native Am leave reservations in disgust

• Return to traditional life of hunting

• Buffalo herds depleted

• Buffalo hunters kill for hides and sport

• Railroad hire sharpshooters

• Military encouraged buffalo hunting

Battle Little Bighorn

• Background- Lakota and Sioux reservations located in Black Hills where gold discovered

• Native Am moved to Bighorn Mts. In Montana

• June 25,1876 Lt. Col. George Custer launched a 3 prong attack in broad daylight on Lakota

Battle Little Bighorn cont

• 2500 Lakota and Cheyenne resist; killed 210 soldiers

• Newspapers portrayed Custer as victim of massacre

• Fear retaliation, Sitting Bull flees to Canada

• Chief Joseph of Nez Perce tribe refused to return to reservation

Little Bighorn cont.

• Chief Joseph retreat on 1300 mile journey

• 1877 Chief Joseph surrendered

• Native Am resistance ended 1890

• Lakota defied army orders and continued to perform the “Ghost Dance”

• Sitting Bull arrested but in resistance died

• Troops tried to disarm Native Am at Wounded Knee Creek

Last Battle

• Wounded Knee; 200 Native Americans died, 25 soldiers

• In the aftermath- authors such as Helen Hunt Jackson bring attention to the plight of the Native Americans

• She wrote “A Century of Dishonor” 1881

• Focus on the need to assimilate Native American

Dawes Act 1887

• Head of household received 160 acres; single men 80 acres, children 40 acres.

• Rest of reservation land sold to settlers and the money put into a trust fund for Native Americans

• Some Native Am succeeded as farmers• Most lacked the desire or the training• Private ownership of land went against

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