Sitting Bull: Warrior, Lakota Leader and Medicine Man

Birth and Boyhood

Sitting Bull (a poor translation of his Lakota name) was born around 1831 on the Grand River in present-day South Dakota. (In 1823 trapper Hugh Glass had his legendary run-in with a grizzly along that same river.) He apparently was named “Jumping Badger” at birth but gained the nickname “Slow” for his measured and deliberate manner.

It is said Slow killed his first buffalo at the age of 10 and counted his first “coup” against an enemy four years later. He would go on to distinguish himself first as a warrior, then as a war “leader” (not necessarily a chief) and eventually as a “medicine” man.

Rise to Leadership

It was after the boy distinguished himself in a raiding party against the Crow that his father gave him the name Sitting Bull. As the boy continued to grow and mature, he distinguished himself as both a hunter and warrior. He was accepted into the “Kit Fox” (named for their stealth) and the “Strong Heart” Society, which required repeated notable performances in battle.

He was also known as a “sash wearer.” He wore a sash into battle and would stake it to the ground with his lance, showing he would never retreat. Sitting Bull took on a lifelong limp – likely when shot in his left hip during an 1862 wagon train attack. Perhaps that wound caused him to become more of a medicine man than a warrior.

Being from a more northern region than Red Cloud, Sitting Bull seemed to remain more in his “home range” during Red Cloud’s War. However, in support of Red Cloud’s efforts, Sitting Bull led raids and attacks against Forts Buford, Berthold and Stevenson along the Missouri River. When Red Cloud and other chiefs signed the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, however, Sitting Bull was among those who refused to sign.

Resistance to White Influence

Sitting Bull had long believed his people needed nothing from the white men and should avoid them in every possible way (except to attack them.) He has been quoted as saying, “I have seen nothing that the white man has…which is as good as our right to roam and live on the open plains as we choose.” He was able to foresee what would develop as his people came to depend more on white men’s goods and technology.

Sitting Bull continued his resistance to white incursions and intrusions into the mid-1870’s. He is believed to have been present in at least one of the attacks against the 1873 railroad survey crews along the Yellowstone River. Then, after Custer’s Black Hills Expedition in 1874 and the U.S. Government’s 1875 demands that the Sioux sell them those Black Hills, Sitting Bull saw the need for all Lakota bands to unite.

Lakota Leadership

It has been asserted by some, including historians, that Sitting Bull became the overall chief of all the Lakota tribes. Others refute this, as each band remained autonomous. No chief had absolute authority, even within his own band. However, in 1876 Sitting Bull did send out a call for the various Sioux tribes and their allies to gather in the Powder and Tongue River area.

As summer began in 1876, many non-treaty bands did gather. Others left reservations not only to hunt but also to join Sitting Bull. They held their traditional Sun Dance and councils.

Sun Dance and Vision

Sitting Bull may or may not have joined in the dance, but he had 50 pieces of flesh cut from each arm and deprived himself of food and water for days. During this time he passed out or fell into a trance and saw his famous vision of soldiers without ears falling into the tribes’ camp.

Shortly after, Crazy Horse fought General George Crook’s Wyoming Column to a standstill. Crook turned back south to rehabilitate and await reinforcements. Eight days later, Custer’s cavalry troops did attack the huge combined village of several Sioux bands along with Cheyenne and Arapaho allies. The results were catastrophic for Custer and the Seventh Cavalry. However, the resounding defeat merely bolstered the U.S. Army’s resolve.

In common legendary perception, Sitting Bull acted as chief over the tribes that overwhelmed Custer. In reality, he was likely still weak and recovering from his Sun Dance experience. Many of his visions over time were believed to have come to pass, and he had grown to the status of a widely regarded medicine man. It is believed that he remained in the village and “made medicine” during the battle at the Little Bighorn.

Later Life

Through 1876 and 1877 attrition occurred amongst the Sioux and Cheyenne. One by one the various bands surrendered and went to reservations. Sitting Bull, however, remained free and defiant to the north. He soon moved his dwindling band north into Canada, where he found asylum as long as he remained peaceful.

Finally, in 1881, as buffalo dwindled and conditions became austere, Sitting Bull finally returned with his remaining band and surrendered at Fort Buford near the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. He found it difficult to adjust to the limitations and constraints of reservation life.

Sitting Bull had grown to legendary status among whites by that time, and the perceptive promoter “Buffalo” Bill Cody was able to obtain permission for Sitting Bull to participate in his Wild West Show. Ironically, Sitting Bull agreed. The Lakota leader was a powerful draw and a hit with the public on the show’s tours. He was given a lucrative arrangement, allowing him to sell autographs and photos of himself in addition to his generous salary.

During this time, Sitting Bull is said to have met the skilled shooting performer Annie Oakley. Taking a fatherly liking to her, he is credited with giving her the nickname “Little Sure-Shot.” However, James McLaughlin, the agent at the Standing Rock agency where Sitting Bull now lived, would not grant permission for him to leave the reservation after that one year of touring with the show.

Ghost Dance and Demise

McLaughlin’s fear seems to have led to Lakota leader’s death. Sitting Bull remained defiant against white men and their enforced authority after his 1881 surrender. The agent seemed to fear that influence. In addition to denying him permission to rejoin Cody’s Wild West Show, McLaughlin called for his arrest at the 1890 Ghost Dance movement spread.

A topic in its own right, the Ghost Dance movement was pushed by a self-proclaimed Paiute messiah. It claimed if Indians practiced this dance the earth would return to its former unfettered state, buffalo would reappear and Indians would live again in freedom. Some Sioux wore “Ghost Shirts.” They had been led to believe the shirts would be bullet-proof.

Sitting Bull may have never fully believed in or endorsed the Ghost Dance, but he did not discourage it either. Apparently to stop this influence, agent McLaughlin directed tribal police to arrest him. On December 15, 1890 tribal officers forced their way into Sitting Bull’s home and pulled him out. Chaos resulted and shots were fired, killing Sitting Bull.

A short time later, fearing an uprising, soldiers were sent to stop the Sioux Ghost Dancers. The result was the sad and tragic 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre.

Sitting Bull is best known for leading tribes to gather on the Tongue River, Rosebud Creek and then the “Greasy Grass.” It could be called the “high water mark” in those tribes’ resistance to advancing white civilization. While he did not lead warriors or act as chief there, Sitting Bull’s influence led to the astounding Sioux and Cheyenne victory at the Little Bighorn.