Sitting Bull: Brief Biography Sitting Bull, whose Indian name was Tatanka Iyotake, was born in the Grand River, present-day South Dakota in 1831. He was a member of the Sioux. Sitting Bull was a member of the Sioux tribe. He joined his first war party at the age of 14, against the Crow. Sioux fought against hostile tribes and white intruders. He was known for his fearlessness in battles. Sitting Bull became a leader of the Strong Heart warrior society, and increased Sioux hunting grounds. U.S. army continually invaded their territory. This created problems within the Native economy. In 1867, Sitting Bull became the first principal chief of the entire Sioux nation. When natives came to peace with the U.S. government, but Sitting Bull refused to attend the peace conference or sign the treaty. The Fort Laramie treaty promised the Black Hills would remain in the Sioux possession forever.When gold was discovered in the mid-1870’s, press brought a rush of prospectors. By 1875, over a thousand prospectors were camping in the Black Hills. The government then ordered the Sioux to their reservations. Sioux were to be off land by January 31, 1876, anyone who did not comply was considered hostile. The Sioux ignored the governments demand. General George Crook set up a camp in order to attack the natives. Sitting Bull realized they could not defeat the army alone, and they must stand with other tribes. On June 17, they forced a retreat of U.S. troops at the Battle of the Rosebud.On July 25, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer led his soldiers into the village along the Little Big Horn River. By the end, Custer and his army of more than 200 soldiers were dead. Sitting Bull thought by winning this battle that the government would leave him alone. The fight had just begun. Sitting Bull would not give up. Soldiers chasing him found a note that read,“You scare all the buffalo away. I want to hunt in this plac...
