In 1831, one of the greatest Indian leaders was born in what is now called Grand River, South Dakota. The child earned the name Tatanka-Iyotanka. The name describes a bull sitting stubbornly on its haunches. Over the course of his life, he would live up to his name many times.

His boyhood must have been a good one. His family had many ponies. He liked to ride. As a joke, other kids said that his legs were bowed like the ponies that he rode. His nickname at that time was Hunkeshnee, which meant slow. He wasn’t a fast runner, but he was very strong. He was said to always have wanted to play the part of the old man. But he was very active.

There are many speculations on how he got his name, some say he got it during his first raid. There is one story, however, that shows his strength. “After a hunt, some of the boys were enjoying a mimic hunt with the calves that had been left behind. A large calf turned viciously on Sitting Bull, wh

After the famous battle, the national government was starting to grow weary chasing after the wiry Sitting Bull and his followers. Because of this, he was permitted to reenter the United States and became a very famous Indian. Known as the “Slayer of Custer,” he was recruited by Buffalo Bill Cody to participate in his Wild West Show. He got sick of this very fast. He felt that, “white people talk too much,” he stated, “To my ears it is like the noise of waters which white men can’t stop.”

Chief Sitting Bull was murdered at the age of fifty-three. He was one of the most respected Indians ever. He was one of the most courageous people to live on our continent. He was both looked up to and feared by all who were around him. He was truly one of the most important people in our history.

Another account talks about a raid of the Crow Indians. “In an attack upon a band of Crow Indians, one of the enemy took his stand, after the rest had fled in a deep ditch from which it seemed impossible to dislodge him. The situation had already cost the lives of several warriors, but they could not let him go to repeat such a boast over the Sioux! ‘Follow me!’ said Sitting Bull, and charged. He raced his horse to the brim of the ditch and struck at the enemy with his coup-staff, thus compelling him to expose himself to the fire of the others while shooting his assailant. But the Crow merely poked his empty gun into his face and dodged back under cover. Then Sitting Bull stopped; he saw that no one had followed him, and he also perceived that the enemy had no more ammunition left. He rode deliberately up to the barrier and threw his loaded gun over it; then he went back to his party and told then what he thought of them. ‘Now,’ said he, ‘ I have armed him, for I will not see a brave man killed unarmed. I will strike him again with my coup-staff to count the first feather; who will count the second?’ Again he led the charge, and this time they all followed him. Sitting Bull was severely wounded by his own gun in the hands of the enemy, who was killed by those that came after him.”

His courage was unmatched throughout all of the Americans and Indians. He would never back down from a challenge. He was also a very fair person. Like in the prior account, he wouldn’t kill an unarmed brave man. He also made it a point to not let any of the women and children be killed in wars. He would use very severe discipline if he caught anyone in his war party using excessive torture or trying to kill the women or children. His tribe believed that whatever you lose in your life, be it an arm or a leg, you would not have when you reached the “Happy Hunting Grounds.” He tried to stop this tradition. He is quoted many times

Some topics in this essay:
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