1. Life After Little Bighorn

3. Life After Little Bighorn
After the Battle of Little Bighorn, the Americans took revenge, attacking Native Americans, even those tribes who did not fight in the battle.
The buffalo had disappeared, from Americans over-hunting them, and the Native American way of life had changed.

4. Life After Little Bighorn
With no buffalo to hunt, the Sioux and other Indians on the Great Plains were forced to live off handouts from the US government.
Watch the video clip.
In what ways are the American government trying to change the Native American way of life?

5. The Ghost Dance What was the Ghost Dance meant to do?
What do you think the Americans thought of the Ghost Dance?

6. that the Sioux were peaceful?
Wounded Knee
7th Cavalry soldiers were ordered to arrest and disarm a Sioux band of Ghost Dancers under Chief Big Foot.
Big Foot’s camp numbered 350 Sioux, including 230 women and children.
The Camp flew a white flag of peace from Big Foot’s tipi.
On 29th December 1890, 470 U.S. soldiers (armed with rifles and Hotchkiss guns) moved on the camp.
Chief Big Foot
How many Sioux were
camped at Wounded Knee?
2. What evidence is there
that the Sioux were peaceful?
Hotchkiss Gun

7. “The American troopers found only two rifles.
Black Coyote refused to hand over
his rifle – shouting that he had
paid much money for it. He fired
his gun and immediately soldiers
returned fire .
A few Sioux tried to run away. Then
the Hotchkiss gun on the hill
opened fire – firing a shell a
second. Many men
women and children
were killed”
3. Why do you think
Black Coyote refused to
hand over his rifle?
4. How did the American
soldiers react?
5. How many Sioux were
killed at Wounded Knee?
Over 300 men, women and
children were killed at Wounded
Knee. They were buried in a mass
grave, many still wearing their
“invincible” Ghost Shirts.

8. Was Wounded Knee a Battle or a Massacre?
Using what you already know, and what you saw in the video clip, write a paragraph in your exercise books explaining whether you think Wounded Knee was a battle or a massacre and why.