Native American Struggles Chap. 18 Sec. 3

Following the Buffalo Many white settler started coming to the Great Plains and upsetting the Native American’s way of life Tribe could have 1000’s of members dived into bands of about 500 who governed themselves.

Threats to the Buffalo The Great plain Indians, like the Sioux, Comanche, and Blackfeet, were mostly nomadic people following the Buffalo. The building of the railroad hurt the feeding ground of the buffalo. Also hired people to hunt the Buffalo-William Cody (Buffalo Bill) claimed to kill 4,000.

Conflict Now that people were settling the Plains, the government decided they needed to move the Native Americans.

Reservations Gov’t decided to move them to reservations. Moved to two major places; Oklahoma for the Southeast N.A. Dakota Territory for Sioux. Most peacefully moved. Land was not plentiful and gov’t did not deliver on promises given to the N.A.

Conflict on the Plains Minnesota Territory- Conflict led by Sioux leader Red Cloud, burned and looted settlers villages Led to Federal troops being set to the Plains. Conflict w/ Sioux sub tribe-the Lakota Montana Crazy Horse (Sioux) led troops to an ambush and killed them- known as the Fetterman Massacre.

Conflict on the Plains Colorado-Cheyenne & Arapaho attacked mining villages and travelers. Asked to surrender to Federal troops at Fort Lyon- Many did. Group led by Chief Black Kettle went to negotiate peace but were later attacked and died.

Little Big Horn Black Hills of North Dakota sacred to N.A. and U.S. Gov’t promise to leave it alone but broke promise because they found gold there. Sitting Bull led his tribe, joined by Crazy Horse in refusing to sell land and fighting w/ settlers around Little Big Horn River

Little Big Horn/Custer US send army general George Custer to control and attack the N.A. He underestimated their size and strength and 250 solider including Custer lot their lives. But U.S. army eventually over took the uprising. Exhausted and starving the remaining tribe agreed to move to reservations. Sitting Bull and tribe went to Canada.

Apache Wars Arizona- Chiracahua Apache forced to move to San Carlos reservation. Resistance to the move was lead by Geronimo. He and his tribe snuck to Mexico and lead a series of raids on the settlers for years.

A changing culture Movement of whites of N.A. land, slaughter of Buffalo, reservation policies and wars hurt N.A. Helen Hunt Jackson wrote a book (Ramona) about how bad the N.A. Were being treated.

Dawes Act Was set up to help N.A. but hurt them instead Wanted to break up reservation and stop ID’s with certain tribes. What was left over was “for sell” to white settlers. Let the N.A. be farmers and send them to white schools Many were given bad land and were not farmers by nature.

Wounded Knee Sioux wanted to return to old way of life and performed Ghost Dances were they envisions a peaceful life w/out the white man. This made troops suspicious of them and arrested one leader, Sitting Bull. Many fled in fear led by Chief Big Foot and gathered at a creek called Wounded Knee in South Dakota. Troops went to collect weapons and fighting accrued resulting in more then 250 deaths