Native American Research: Sitting Bull

         Sitting Bull was a Native American warrior during his time. He was born near the Grand River in South Dakota around 1832. He was originally named Jumping Badger, but then later inherited his father's name, Sitting Bull. During his life, he was always against and in conflict with white assimilation. Around 1856, Sitting Bull became the head of the Strong Heart's Lodge, an honor of the elitest in his culture. Before he became involved with fighting, he would always stand behind and cure people to help out in fights. He was very good with medicine and healing others in dire need, but because Sitting Bull was so relentless with the white movement, he was always encouraging his people to join him in the opposition against them. Sitting Bull even took it so far that he opposed and countered white missionaires and he condemned land agreements with them. Fearing from uprising, officials believed that Sitting Bull would help benefit the tribe if he wasn't a leader, and would be better off removed. The Sioux police officials approached him and arrested him, but some of Sitting Bull's followers resisted removing him. The officials shot those blocking his exit, and as a result, Sitting Bull, his teenage son, and five other Sioux laid dead in the snow. Throughout Sitting Bull's life, he embraced leadership within his tribe and always fought for his people to the fullest, even if it was potentially going to hurting them. 

Picture #1: Sitting Bull's Death 

Picture #2: Sitting Bull

Resources Used: 

ABC-CLIO Sitting Bull Website

History Study Center Sitting Bull Website

Native American US History Classwork

Link to Archive: https://archive.org/stream/conciseschoolhis02camp#page/118/mode/2up

The purpose of this assignment was to explore how Native Americans were viewed during the 1880's. First, we looked at definitions of of the words, "savage" and 'savagery." Then from the archive listed, we read a certain range of the passage from the archive, and the references to Native Americans as "savages" was explored by using a specific word choice of the word. Using this research, we then formulated how we would view Native Americans if we were American students living in that time frame.

Savage- fierce, violent, uncontrollable. Also they can be referred to as a member of people who are uncivilized and primitive.

Savagery- The quality of being fierce or cruel. Also can be referred to the condition of being uncivilized and primitive. Without society; wild.

In the passage of the archive, it portrays the Native Americans as ruthless, merciless, and dangerous people. It creates this image of a group of people, who are not stationary, and will kill if anything in their way. If I was an American student living in this time period, the descripition of the Native Amercicans as savages would terrify me, and I would never want to interact with one. I believe that if I ever saw a Native American, I would act in defense and try to kill them because of the way the book portrays them as savages. Even if there were tribes that consisted of peaceful members, the thought would not cross my mind because I would be preoccupied by the thought of being attacked by them. The reading talks about how the Native Americans lived in this small huts constructed from simple materials, which suggests that their shelter was not permanent. The archive also talks about how they tortured their prisoners to the extreme, causing a lot of pain and trauma, which shows how they never showed mercy in anything. Types of torture included burning the prisoner at a stake by a slow fire, and it was actually considered as pride to the tribe to torture the enemy to their death. Ultimately, I would be extremely scared of the Native Americans and would never want to mess with one under my choice.

US History Cross-Writing Letter

Link to Newspaper Reference: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014381/1880-06-28/ed-1/seq-1/