Native Americans

Uprising For centuries, many Native American groups lived on the Great Plains, most as nomads who roamed the land. As settlers moved onto the Great Plains, they clashed with the Native Americans. In 1862 in Minnesota, the Dakota Sioux faced starvation and lived in poverty after failing to receive annuities, or money promised to them by the Government. They staged an uprising, waging war against both soldiers and settlers. The rebellion was suppressed.

Red Clouds War From 1866 to 1868, the Lakota Sioux clashed with the U.S. soldiers. This was called “Red Cloud’s War.” In one major battle known as Fetterman’s Massacre, the Lakota wiped out an entire unit of the U.S. Army –about 80 soldiers In 1864, in response to Native American raids and attacks, Colorado’s territorial governor ordered their surrender at Fort Lyon. When several hundred Cheyenne came to negotiate a peace deal they were attacked by U.S. troops.

Indian Peace Commission In 1867 Congress formed an Indian Peace Commission. It proposed creating two large reservations. However, this plan failed. Many Native Americans refused to move. Those who did move faced miserable conditions.

Decline in Buffalo By the 1870’s many Native Americans left the reservations in disgust. They joined others who shunned reservations to hunt buffalo on the open plains. However, the buffalo were dissapearing. Migrants crossing the plains (professional hunters and sport hunters) killed many buffalo. Railroad companies killed buffalo that were block rail lines.

Custer In 1876 miners overran the Lakota Sioux reservation. Seeing that American settlers were violating the treaty, many Lakota left the reservation to hunt in Montana. In response, the government sent troops, including Colonel George A Custer.

Little Bighorn On June 25, Custer and 210 soldiers attacked a very large group of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors camped along the Little Bighorn River. The Warriors killed all but one of them. The army then stepped up its campaign against the Plains Indians Some fled to Canada, while others were forced back on the reservation.

More Conflict In 1877 the Nez Perce, led by Chief Joseph, refused to move to a smaller reservation in Idaho. When the army came to force them to move, they fled for more than 1,300 miles However, Chief Joseph surrendered in October 1877. He and his followers were moved to Oklahoma.

Wounded Knee Against government orders, some Lakota on a reservation continued to perform a Ghost Dance. This ritual celebrated among other things, a hoped-for-day when settlers would leave. Federal authorities blamed Chief Sitting Bull for this defiance and sent police to arrest him. He died in the ensuing gunfire. Some Ghost Dancers fled, but troops pursued them. On December 29. 1890, fighting broke out at Wounded Knee Creek. About 25 soldiers and 200 Lakota died.

Opposition Some Americans opposed the government’s treatment of Native Americans. Helen Hunt Jackson, in her book a Century of Dishonor, described the government’s injustices against Native Americans. Some people believed that Native Americans should assimilate, or be absorbed , into American Culture as citizens and landowners.

Dawes Act This act allotted to each head of household 160 acres of reservation land for farming; single adults received 80 acres, and 40 acres were allotted for children. The land that remained after all members had received allotments would be sold to American settlers, with the proceeds going into a trust for Native Americans.

End to their Way of Life Although some Native Americans succeeded as farmers or ranchers, many did not. Many found their allotment of land was too small to be profitable. Assimilation failed, and no good solution replaced it. The Plains Indians depended on the buffalo for food, clothing, fuel and shelter. When the herds were wiped out, they could not continue their way of life, but few were willing to adopt the settlers ways of life.

Native Americans 3. What did the Indian Peace Commission want to do? 8. What caused the battle at Wounded Knee? 1. What led to Native Americans to rebel? 4. What led to the decline in Buffalo? 7. What happened at Little Big Horn? Name________________________ 2. What was Red Cloud’s War? 6. Why was Custer called in?   Native Americans

9. Who was Helen Hunt Jackson and what did she believe? 11. Why did the Indians way of life end? 10. What was the Dawes Act?  

Sitting Bull Web Quest http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/sitting-bull 1. Who was Sitting Bull? 2. Why did Sitting Bull finally surrender to U.S. Troops? 3. Where was Sitting Bull Born? 4. What did Sitting Bull resolve to do after the Killing at the Teton Encampment? 5. What did Sitting Bull say the survival of his followers depended on? 6. What about Sitting Bull attracted a large following? 7. What battle made Sitting Bull famous? 8. Why did Sitting Bull move to Canada? 9. What was the Ghost Dance? 10. Why was Sitting Bull Killed?

Colonel George A. Custer Web Quest http://www.history.com/topics/george-armstrong-custer Where was George A. Custer born? What war did Custer fight in? Why was Custer suspended for a year? How did Custer violate the treaty of 1868? Why did the government decide to restrict the Plains Indians to reservations? 6. Summarize Custer’s last stand. 7. Would you say Custer was a Hero or a Villain? Explain your answer