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Home , Colorado War, John Bozeman, Wounded Knee Massacre

Chapter 13 – Native American Conflicts – Late 19th Century

Review – Cycle of Violence old process would continue until they no The history of the when longer controlled any land whites wanted it comes to the native people who inhabited and until they were so small in population, the land long before this country’s creation is that they no longer could be considered a a sad one. Going all the way back to the threat. 1600s, European settlers and their descendants have killed Native Lesson 1 – Americans and taken their land. The Southwest The process has always been cyclical Main Idea: The Native people of the – a war breaks out Mexican Cession struggled to remain between whites and Indians. That war is independent. This struggle was inevitably won by the whites. A treaty is marked by little success and much signed, Indian land is taken over by white suffering. settlers and peace exists. As more white settlers come into the area, they trespass on The Navajo/Apache Wars Indians lands (given by treaty). Indians The Navajo and Apache people share respond by defending their land violently. a similar culture and language. The Navajo Whites organize and attack the Indians – an homeland covers the four-corner region of Indian war begins and the whole process the American Southwest (Arizona, Utah, repeats itself. , & ). The cycle of violence was no different with the Navajo The last time you learned about these and the United States. One of the most conflicts came when you were learning notable events came in January 1863 when about the 1830s. You should remember the approximately 8,500 Navajo people were Act – a policy put forced to move from their ancestral forward by President Jackson that homeland to a reservation 300 had as its goal, the removal of all miles away. This Native Americans east of the became known as the Mississippi River to the Long Walk of the Navajo. west of that river. The act More than 200 people died was a success from an in the journey. (Does this American point-of-view. remind you of a similar Indians were forced tragedy in the 1830s?) across the Mississippi. A large territory in what is In one of the rare now was set up exceptions to the cycle as a reservation for these – five years later (1868) people. But as the 19th Century the Navajo were wore on, the old problem of what to allowed to return to do with the Indians became an their homeland (after issue. Unfortunately for the Indians, the violence on the reservation).

Chapter 13 – Indian Wars 2 They were given a total while “trying to of 16 million acres escape”. His head where they remain was cut off and his today. skull sent to the Smithsonian The Apache Institution in people are relatives of Washington, D.C. the Navajos. They further angering the share similar culture Apaches. and language. The continued his attacks traditional Apache on Americans using homeland was located the mountainous more in New Mexico, region as a base of Cochise Arizona, Texas and operation. Finally in Mexico. There are 1871, General several bands of Apache – meaning there George Crook was are different sub-tribes within the greater able to capture Apache tribe. Some of these bands gave Cochise and order the Mexican government great difficulty in the Chiricahua the 1830s but when the U.S. conquered this Apaches to a reservation in New Mexico. territory after the War with Mexico, they Despite Cochise’s escape and renewed signed peace treaties with the United States. attacks, a treaty was worked out and Cochise moved onto a reservation in In the 1850s gold was discovered in Arizona. the Apache territory causing a large number of American miners to pour into the area. After the death of Cochise in 1874, Attacks by settlers upon the Apache led to the U.S. government decided to move the violent reprisals. By the 1860s this cycle Chiricahuas to the San Carlos reservation in became known as the Apache Wars. In eastern Arizona by 1876. Approximately 1861 the U.S. army tricked Cochise, the half of them agreed but the rest, under the leader of the Chiricahua Apache into a trap leadership of Geronimo, fled to the where members of his family and tribe were mountains of their ancestral homeland. In held in prison. The chief’s brother and five the spring of 1877 Geronimo was captured others were hanged sparking a unifying and taken back to San Carlos. He remained response from the Apache. there until 1881 when he decided Cochise united with Mangas to flee again, taking 700 Apaches Coloradas, leader of the eastern with him. Geronimo returned the Chiricahua Apache, along with next year, arming the rest of the the famous Chiricahua warrior Apaches at San Carlos and Geronimo with the goal of driving taking them with him to Mexico. out all whites from their territory. In 1883 General Crook was put in charge of the reservations in Things got worse when Arizona and New Mexico. He Mangas Coloradas tried to was able to pursue Geronimo organize a peace treaty with the and convince him to return to the Americans. In January 1863, he reservation. But two years later, was arrested while arriving under again Geronimo left the a white flag of truce to meet with reservation. Crook was forced to U.S. General Joseph West. General George Crook resign and he was replaced by Mangas was tortured, and killed General Nelson Miles in 1886. Chapter 13 – Indian Wars 3 General Miles and 5,000 soldiers you can imagine, white settlement changed pursued Geronimo and his 24 warriors for everything. the next six months. That’s a pretty big manhunt! Finally, Geronimo was convinced In 1851 the had given up a to surrender as he and his group were large amount of land to the United States in starving. He was sent to a reservation in the Minnesota Territory and were given a Florida along with other Apaches who had large reservation land on the upper actually helped the army find him. Many of Minnesota River. Over the course of the these Apaches died back east. Geronimo next few years, the Sioux land was taken was never allowed to return to his homeland and some of subsidies promised by the and died at Fort Sill, Oklahoma at age 79. federal government never came to be. When Minnesota became a state in 1858 things got continually worse. With game Lesson 1 Review Questions – (write disappearing and land not suitable for answers in complete sentences on a farming, the Sioux became dependent on piece of loose-leaf paper). U.S. trade goods to survive in exchange for furs. By the summer of 1862, the federal 1. Why was the result of the Navajo Wars in government was distracted by the Civil War 1868 a good one for the Navajo people? and the Sioux were demanding their 2. What two treacherous acts by the United payments for food. When the Sioux States government/military led to a appealed to a lead trader for food despite unified resistance by the Apaches? having no money to pay, he said, "So far as I'm concerned, if they are hungry, let them eat grass or their own dung." Lesson 2 – The war started when a small group The Plains of warriors attacked and killed five white settlers. Things got much worse after that. Main Idea: Native peoples of the Eventually the Indians attacked the trading Central and fought to post killing that lead trader. His body was keep their homelands. The U.S. found days later with grass stuffed in his mouth. In a series of attacks the Sioux Government continued to support devastated white settlements throughout those Americans who violated southwestern Minnesota. Estimates of their treaties. numbers killed range anywhere from 300 to 800 during a time that lasted a little over a The Minnesota Sioux War of 1862 month. The situation was so bad that The Sioux or had lived President Lincoln had to take two Minnesota many years in the upper Mississippi Region regiments intended for use against the of what is today Minnesota before Confederates to put down the Sioux Europeans came to North America. When uprising. When the fighting finally ended, the French trappers and traders came and over 500 soldiers had been killed. befriended their longtime enemies, the Ojibwa (Chippewa), trading to them guns for In the weeks that followed, over 300 furs, the Lakota were forced to move to Sioux were tried and convicted by military southwestern Minnesota. They adopted the tribunals in trials that, in some cases, lasted lifestyle of the once they got less than five minutes. The accused were their hands on horses. The Lakota became not aware of what was going on in most excellent hunters and fierce warriors. But as cases and no one explained anything to them. Because these were military trials, Chapter 13 – Indian Wars 4 President Lincoln held the power to overturn had been thriving. In 1863 gold was the decisions. Despite all of his frustration discovered in Montana. To get to the gold and concentration over the war with the fields, pioneers like John Bozeman blazed Confederates, he reviewed all of the cases. trails from Ft. Laramie in north, He divided the crimes into two categories – cutting through the hunting grounds of the times of warfare and crimes of rape and Sioux. A treaty in 1851 at Ft. Laramie murder of civilians. He commuted the guaranteed that the Plains Indians would death sentences of all but 38 who Lincoln maintain control of the Great Plains region in judged guilty by the evidence of their attacks return for allowing settlers safe passage on on civilians. the . The gold discovery changed that. On December 26, 1862 in Mankato, Minnesota, the largest execution in the In 1866 the U.S. government held history of the United States took place. A another council with members of the Sioux gigantic gallows was built for the public to at Ft. Laramie with the intention of building a witness the hanging of the 38 Sioux. The government road to protect miners flocking U.S. government took back the reservation to Montana. , the leader of the and cancelled all previous treaties with the Sioux, walked out of the meeting Sioux. A $25 bounty was placed on the promising war if the government intended to head of any Sioux who remained in hold the road or occupy Sioux lands in the Minnesota with the exception of those sub- Powder River region. The threat didn’t tribes that helped protect white settlers. seem to make much of a dent as plans to Even they were eventually judged to be “not occupy forts along the went friendly enough” by the Minnesotans and forward. most of them were forced to leave. The Sioux were sent to reservations in South As the army Dakota. The Minnesota Sioux War of 1862 occupied forts, was the first war between the Lakota people Indians began their and the United States. As you continue to attacks on soldiers read, you’ll quickly learn that it was not the venturing outside last. of their forts. The Sioux understood that attacking the forts would be useless, but when soldiers went looking for wood or food, they had an Red Cloud opportunity for success. One of those opportunities turned into a stunning victory. Lt. Colonel William Fetterman had boasted that he, along with 80 men, could ride through the entire Sioux Nation. Fetterman had experience in the Civil War and felt confident that the Indians Red Cloud’s War could not match the white men in battle. He In the last section you learned how got his chance to test this theory on the Sioux were forced out of Minnesota to December 21, 1866 when a detachment of the west. Even before this, bands of Sioux soldiers foraging for wood from Fort Phil had already adopted a Plains lifestyle and Kearny came under Indian attack. Chapter 13 – Indian Wars 5

A relief party was organized The Colorado War to go out and rescue the wood You’ll recall in the previous section cutters. Fetterman assumed the mention of the first Fort Laramie command of this group, which Treaty in 1851. This treaty not only ironically totaled 80 men besides applied to the Sioux, but to other himself. He received orders from his Plains Indians as well. The commander to not cross the Lodge and tribes were Trail Ridge because he would be out given land between the South Platte of sight of the fort and they would be and Arkansas Rivers in eastern unable to help him if attacked. After Colorado. Things remained peaceful coming out and rescuing the wood until, you guessed it, gold was train, Fetterman spotted a group of discovered in the Rockies. Whites Lt. Col. William young Oglala warriors on horseback. Fetterman streamed into the area through Sensing an opportunity to strike a Indian land. In 1860, the Cheyenne blow, Fetterman ignored his orders and and Arapaho agreed to give up even more followed this group over the ridge and out of land to keep the peace. They agreed to sight of the fort. The decoy group of Indians change from their nomadic, hunting way-of- led Fetterman and his force down into a life to a farming existence. The government small valley where 3,000 warriors were was to provide them with land, money, mills waiting. The attack, led by Oglala Sioux (for grinding their crops) and schools. warrior , completely destroyed Fetterman’s force of 81. It became known There is a federal agency known as as the “Fetterman Massacre” but it became the Bureau of Indian Affairs and it has a evidence of the cunning strategy of the very bad history in this country. The Bureau young leader, Crazy Horse. was supposed to make sure that the Indians got the money and supplies that the Meanwhile the Transcontinental government agreed to give them. The Railroad was being constructed further problem was that many of the Indian Agents, south and the government decided it was men who worked for the Bureau, were more important to protect from attack. They corrupt. They often skimmed money or called for another meeting at Ft. Laramie but profits from selling government supplies and Red Cloud refused to attend until the giving the Indians inferior ones. This soldiers abandoned their forts on the became the case for the Cheyenne and Bozeman Trail. By August the government Arapaho. To make matters worse, the complied and after being abandoned, the , a nearby tribe that was especially Sioux burned them to the ground. In hostile to whites, began making attacks. November 1868, Red Cloud signed the Too often the Cheyenne and Arapaho got Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1868. The treaty the blame. gave all of , including the (which held special religious A group of significance to the Sioux) and the Powder Cheyenne and Arapaho River region to the Sioux – called the Great under Chief Black Sioux Reservation. Red Cloud’s War was a Kettle came into an success. He is the only Plains Indian leader American fort to make to win a war against the United States. But clear that they did not his success was limited and future wars want to fight. His group would doom his people. of about 800 Indians went 40 miles to the north to make camp at Chapter 13 – Indian Wars 6 Sand Creek. Black Kettle flew order to avoid another massacre. an American flag outside his He was told he could not stay. . This was done to indicate Just days later, Lt. Colonel to American soldiers that his George Custer attacked Black camp was friendly. On Kettle’s peaceful village on the November 29, 1864, Colonel Washita. In what Americans John Chivington set out to called the “Battle of the Washita”, attack the Indian camp. He over a hundred men, women and reportedly said, “Kill and scalp children (including Black Kettle all, big and little; nits make lice." Colonel John Chivington and his wife) were killed. In order to prevent the Indians from As Chivington’s 800 soldiers began attacking, more than 800 horses and ponies firing, Black Kettle ran a white flag of were slaughtered by the army. surrender up his flagpole. Like the American flag, it too was ignored. With most of his warriors out hunting, Black Kettle’s Lesson 2 Review Questions – (write people were made up mostly of old men, answers in complete sentences on a women and children. Over 200 of them piece of loose-leaf paper). were killed and their bodies mutilated. The remainder fled the camp and hid in terror. 1. What caused the Minnesota Sioux War This became known as the Sand Creek of 1862? Massacre. Unlike the Fetterman Massacre, 2. Why is Red Cloud’s War considered an which was really just a battle where one side Indian victory? lost, Sand Creek was a brutally racist 3. What role did the Bureau of Indian Affairs attempt to wipe out a group of innocent and the Kiowa tribe play in the Colorado people. War? 4. How are the and Many of the Cheyenne and Arapaho the Battle of the Washita similar? left their reservations and attacked white settlements with at least 200 settlers being killed. Some of these warriors moved north to join with the Sioux in their attempt to keep out the Americans. Others went to reservations in the – today’s Oklahoma. The Colorado War came to an end in 1865 but the brutal treatment of a peaceful group of Indians would serve as motivation for future wars.

Four years after the Sand Creek Massacre, Black Kettle’s people were living on a reservation on the Washita River in what is The map above shows the territory of the Lakota now Oklahoma. After or Sioux people. The Black Hills are located in western South Dakota. violence broke out again, Black Kettle Lt. Col. George attempted to take his Custer people to Fort Cobb in Chapter 13 – Indian Wars 7 Lesson 3 – The Northern Plains & Mountains

Main Idea: Despite great odds, Indian people continued to defy American efforts to control them. As the U.S. Government continued to ignore Native Treaty Rights, the Native peoples felt that they had no other The Black Hills War began as the army choice but war. attempted to round them up and force them back to the reservation. In March 1876, General George Crook (you remember, the The Black Hills War guy from the Apache Wars?) took a cavalry The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 force of over 900 along with Indian scouts guaranteed the Black Hills of South Dakota from the Crow and Shoshone tribes (long- to the Sioux people forever. The Black Hills time enemies of the Sioux and Cheyenne) had religious value to the Indians and was of and moved out. It was one part of a three- no real agricultural value to the whites. part army effort to send 2,500 Sioux and Then the rumors of gold in the Black Hills Cheyenne back to the reservation. began and war with the Sioux became inevitable. In 1874, Col. Custer led an Crook found himself outnumbered by expedition of geologists1 into a force commanded by Crazy the Black Hills to determine if Horse. The Battle of Rosebud they indeed had gold. The on June 17, 1876 was a draw result of the expedition but it proved costly for the confirmed gold and the word Americans. Crazy Horse’s got out quickly. Soon cash- attack made it impossible for strapped miners looking to Crook to hook up with another make money were flooding cavalry force under the into the Black Hills. command of Custer.

The Sioux were Col. Custer was part of the extremely upset. Custer’s three-pronged effort to send expedition was an illegal the Indians back to the invasion of Indian land. The reservation. With General army was supposed to stop Crook delayed because of the white settlers from violating Battle of Rosebud, Custer’s 7th the Ft. Laramie Treaty, not Cavalry was alone as it encourage them to break the law. The approached a huge encampment of Sioux, Sioux, under the leadership of Cheyenne, and Arapaho on the Little Big Sioux holy man Sitting Bull and the warrior Horn River in Montana. Custer’s Crow Crazy Horse, left the reservation in protest. scouts alerted him of this village and even

1 geologist: a person who specializes in physical history of the earth and the rocks of which it is composed. Chapter 13 – Indian Wars 8 though he was aware he’d be outnumbered, the Black Hills in a size much larger than he decided to attack. In the past facing that of which is located steep odds, other Indians had fled when nearby. Crazy Horse will forever be attacked despite having a numerical considered a monumental Native American advantage. Custer was clearly counting on hero. this.

Custer made the mistake of dividing The Nez Perce War his force. As his divided forces were stalled, The Nez Perce Indians got their Custer found himself outnumbered three to name from the French. It means “pierced one. His group of over two hundred cavalry nose” and the French had given them this soldiers was wiped out to the last man. This name due to the jewelry worn from their Battle of Little Big Horn was the largest noses. The Indians called themselves the Indian victory of the time but it would be Nimi'ipuu which simply means “the people”. short-lived. They lived in what is today Washington, Oregon and Idaho. When Lewis and Clark After what Americans were now traveled through their region looking for the calling “Custer’s Last Stand” or the coast of the Pacific, it was the Nez Perce massacre at Little Big Horn, the army went who helped them. As a result, relations with all out to end the Sioux War. With the Americans were generally good. winter approaching, 400 families That all began to change in the late surrendered and returned to the 19th Century. reservation. Sitting Bull and his followers fled into Canada seeking In 1855, the governor of the political protection. He wouldn’t Washington Territory negotiated a return until 1881 when the war treaty with the Nez Perce which was long over. He spent some guaranteed them a large time touring America with Buffalo reservation of land of 7.7 million Bill Cody’s Wild West Show until acres in Washington, Oregon and he returned to the reservation Idaho. It also included the Wallowa where he would eventually be Valley which was an important part killed in 1890 (you’ll read about of the tribe’s history. With the that later). Chief Joseph discovery of gold, the government negotiated a new treaty in 1863 The army was relentless and there that reduced the size of the Nez Perce was no way the Sioux War of 1876 could reservation significantly – excluding the continue. Crazy Horse surrendered in May Wallowa Valley. The treaty divided the Nez 1877 at Red Cloud Agency near Camp Perce because there were a number who Robinson in . Red Cloud had refused to sign the new treaty. The ones stayed out of this war, realizing that who did sign became known as “treaty” Nez defeating the whites was impossible. Crazy Perce and the ones who didn’t, “non-treaty”. Horse remained at the Red Cloud Agency for several months. In confusion over his One of the leaders of the “non-treaty” intentions to possibly resume the fight, Nez Perce was Chief Joseph. Before his Crazy Horse was arrested the night of death in 1871, Chief Joseph’s father September 5, 1877 but was stabbed and pleaded with his son to never give up the killed in an attempt to escape. He is land of his ancestors, to never sell the considered one of the most outstanding war- graves of his parents. Chief Joseph chiefs of his time. A privately run operation promised to do this but he was also keenly has been underway to carve his image into aware of any chance his people had against Chapter 13 – Indian Wars 9 the Americans. He had negotiated a way to Valley home, which was now owned by keep his people in the Wallowa Valley but by white ranchers and farmers. 1877 the government wanted his people to move to the reservation. The dignity of the example set by Chief Joseph is still an encouragement to all Chief Joseph had no choice and Americans today. His disdain2 for war but reluctantly agreed to leave his homeland. yet his willingness to fight to defend his General Oliver Howard had given him thirty people is something of which to be proud. days to leave despite his pleas for more Chief Joseph’s final hope before he died in time. Some of the more hostile members of 1904 was that America’s promise of freedom his tribe reacted violently and killed white would someday be realized by Native settlers in the area. Chief Joseph knew this Americans. would mean war so he decided the best option for his people would be to try to move north into Canada. For three months the The Nez Perze desperately attempted to escape By the late 1880s, most Native into Canada, only to be attacked by the U.S. Americans were living under the reservation army. They fought excellently – skillfully system. There was a lot of controversy over deploying rear-guard warriors to protect their this system since it was understood to be people. unfair to Indians and continued to make them dependent on the government for Finally, with the Nez Perce within 40 survival. In 1887 Congress passed the miles of the Canadian border, the U.S. Army Dawes Act which was designed to break up cut them off after five days of fighting. Chief the reservations into individual parcels of Joseph surrendered and is reported to have land. The idea was that Native American said, people would now have their own land upon which to farm and become more like the rest “My people, some of them, of the American people. They would have to have run away to the hills, become more assimilated3 to American and have no blankets, no culture. food. No one knows where they are—perhaps freezing to The effect of the Dawes Act served to death. I want to have time to further destroy Native American culture. look for my children, and see Indian tribes were no longer the focal point how many of them I can find. for their Maybe I shall find them community among the dead. Hear me, because land my chiefs! I am tired; my was now heart is sick and sad. From individually where the sun now stands, I owned. The will fight no more forever." land plots were not big enough More than 200 of his people had died and for it to be now they were to be sent to a reservation in handed down Oklahoma, thousands of miles from their within Native homeland. Eventually Chief Joseph was American allowed to return to a reservation in eastern families. Much Washington, but still miles from his Wallowa of the land was

2 disdain: to treat with contempt – to despise or hate. 3 assimilate: to become part of another culture. Chapter 13 – Indian Wars 10 sold to whites at discounted prices. The that this sounds silly, but consider the fact reservation system remained, however that everything this culture had known for much smaller, and Indian tribes found it hundreds of years had been forcibly much more difficult to have unity among changed within just a few decades. Their their members as they were widely spread way of life had changed forever. The Ghost out as a result of the Dawes Act. Dance had a religious connection and many Indian people felt that if they prayed and danced hard enough, these things would Wounded Knee – End of the Indian Wars come true. When things are really bad, You will remember that the end of the people will do anything to make things Indian Wars in the 1870s led to the majority better. of Native American peoples to live on reservations. You should also remember A problem with the was that the Dawes Act in 1887 led to the that whites living near the reservations breakup of the reservations system and misunderstood it. Part of Wovoka’s more problems for the Indians. With tribes teachings with this dance was that there was now broken up and reservations to be no fighting with the white man. reduced in size, life for Native Whites were fearful that the dance Americans was very difficult. was intended as a preparation of What the U.S. government was war. Things got really out of hand trying to do was forcibly assimilate in mid-December 1890 when Sitting the Indians to the white American Bull (you should remember him – he way of life. Indians were was the leader at the defeat of encouraged to become farmers. Custer in 1876) had been There were some obvious instructing his band of Sioux problems with this. Traditionally (Lakota) people to do the Ghost women in tribes were the ones Dance. The government ordered who did the farming so males in the arrest of Sitting Bull and he was the tribe would be hard to shot and killed by Indian police. His convince that this was how they followers fled that reservation for should live their lives. A bigger the one of Sitting Bull’s half- problem was that most of the land Wovoka brother, Big Foot – who didn’t the Indians were expected to farm believe in doing the Ghost Dance. on wasn’t well suited for it. The army ordered Big Foot to bring So things were not good for Native his people, made up mostly of old people, Americans. When things are bad, people, women and children, to a nearby fort. But regardless of their ethnicity, often turn to Big Foot, who was sick with pneumonia, was extreme measures for hope. The Indians bringing his people to Red Cloud at the Pine were no different. In 1889 a Paiute Ridge Reservation (South Dakota). The medicine man (religious leader) named army stopped them and detained them at Wovoka started what was called the Ghost , a few miles from Dance. This dance, according to Wovoka, Pine Ridge. On the morning of December would bring about a time when white 29, 1890 the Indians were ordered to give expansion would end, the buffalo would up all of their weapons. While this was return (they had been hunted to near done, the army had encircled them and extinction by whites) and the dead would possessed several Hotchkiss guns4. During rise and live again. Now you might think this time, a shot was fired and the army

4 Hotchkiss Gun: heavy caliber machine gun. Chapter 13 – Indian Wars 11 of our history of which we should not be very proud.

Lesson 3 Review Questions – (write answers in complete sentences on a piece of loose-leaf paper). 1. How did the United States provoke the Black Hills War? 2. What mistake did Custer make that ultimately led to his destruction at the Battle of Little Big Horn? 3. What happened to Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse after the Black Hills War? The frozen bodies of Lakota people killed at the Wounded Knee Massacre 4. Why did Chief Joseph attempt to take his people to Canada? wrongly concluded that the Indians were firing on them. They opened fire, including the Hotchkiss guns and shot down over 300 members of Big Foot’s band – including Big Conclusion These are obviously not all of the Foot himself. It was a massacre as only 25 th soldiers were killed and that was most likely Indian Wars of the late 19 Century, but the from friendly fire since the soldiers were at ones you’ve read here give you a good idea close range with the Lakota. about how Native Americans were treated. You should be able to find similarities in The massacre at Wounded Knee each of the examples you’ve read. You ended the Indians wars in the United States. should know that other wars continued on Native American people would continue to sporadically, but all came to the same see their culture nearly wiped out. conclusion – the Native Americans lost and Education for these people was minimal. were forced onto reservations. Unemployment and alcoholism rates have been higher for this minority group than any Ultimately what I’m hoping you will other in this country. Plains Indians religious take away from this is an understanding that ceremonies were banned for decades by the our country has some rather nasty history U.S. government (most notably the Sun when it comes to dealing with Native people. Dance in 1904 to the 1970s). This is a part You should realize that the hypocrisy of our nation didn’t end with the freeing of the slaves after the Civil War. If we are ever to live up to the goals set forth in the Declaration of Independence then we must open our eyes to the injustice of our past and work hard to make sure it never happens again. We must work to make sure that Chief Joseph’s dream of a country that embraces all people will become a reality.

Close up of the Hotchkiss gun used on defenseless Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee Chapter 13 – Indian Wars 12

Extra Credit Question (worth 10 points – answer in complete sentences on a piece of loose-leaf paper) Do some research – pick any one of the Native American leaders mentioned in this chapter. Find out more about him and write a brief biography that includes information about him that was not in this chapter. What about this person do you admire?

Timeline of Events 1851 • First Fort Laramie Treaty 1855 • Nez Perce sign treaty guaranteeing them a reservation including the Wallowa Valley 1861-1864 • Navajo Wars Minnesota Sioux War 1862 • • 38 Sioux executed in largest U.S. execution 1864-1886 • Apache Wars 1864-1865 • Colorado War 1864 • Sand Creek Massacre 1866-1868 • Red Cloud’s War – only successful Indian war 1866 • Fetterman Massacre Second Fort Laramie Treaty 1868 • • Battle of the Washita 1874 • George Custer leads expedition into the Black Hills of South Dakota & confirms the presence of gold 1876-1877 • Black Hills War 1876 • Custer killed at Battle of Little Big Horn Crazy Horse killed during arrest 1877 • • Nez Perce War 1887 • Dawes Act passed breaking up Indian reservations Sitting Bull killed during arrest over the Ghost Dance 1890 • • Massacre at Wounded Knee, SD. ends most Indian fighting

Chapter 13 – Indian Wars