Native Americans in the West (1850’s)
The Plains Indians way of life
 Nomadic on the Great Plains
 since not in one spot, Americans thought the land
was available
 World centered around the buffalo
 Americans hunting bison to extinction & forcing
Plains Indians away from their home
 depended primarily on them for food, shelter, &
clothing
Negotiations & Conflict
 Fort Laramie Treaty – U.S. accepted Indian
claims to the land & allowed U.S. to build RR
across Indian homelands. Didn’t last long bc
of treasure seekers & farmers
 Reservations – areas of fed. Land set aside
for Natives. Many Indians refused to leave
homeland.

The Long Walk – Navajos pushed from AZ to
NM; 100s of Navajo died.
Negotiations & Conflict
 Dawes Act – taking & redistributing Native American
land, the way American govt. wants; goal – to take Native
resources & make American $$$
 Indian Schools – part of U.S. Govt. Indian Policy;
boarding schools were mandatory; kill the Indian, not the
man; brainwash them into being “American” & Christian
 Americanize the savages!
Native American Resistance a.k.a. the
Indian Wars
 war between U.S. fed. govt. & Plains Indians
 Battle of Little Bighorn – Colonel Custer &
Sioux people; Sitting Bull & Crazy Horse
refused to leave for reservations  worst
defeat of U.S. Army in the west; also last
Sioux victory; Custer & troops slaughtered

a Native American victory in a series of
defeats
 Geronimo – Apache who led a band of
warriors to fight U.S. soldiers; his courage to
remain free made him a legend.
Sitting Bull
Colonel Custer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq
yAtyvMccQ&list=PLCQW6suT3zhK9
xXa2rsX8_RMZiiTEmay7
Geronimo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ow7iSPZZFE
Native American Resistance (contd.)
 Nez Perce – resistance in NW (Oregon &
Idaho reservation)
 U.S. govt. took back land reserved for Natives
for gold miners & settlers
 Chief Joseph reluctantly agreed & surrenders
to U.S. army:

“I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed… It
is cold, and we have no blankets. The little
children are freezing to death… My heart is sick
and sad. From where the Sun now stands I will
fight no more forever.”
Native American Resistance (contd.)
 The Ghost Dance - a religious movement predicting the
arrival of paradise free from all settlers; paradise could be
achieved if you performed this dance (like worshiping)
 The Massacre at Wounded Knee – U.S. troops killed 300
Sioux (men, women & children)
 this marked the end of more than 25 years of war on the
Great Plains
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRMUd4azFZs&list=PLCQW6suT3zhK9xXa2
rsX8_RMZiiTEmay7
SUMMARY
 QUIZ TIME
 1. What was the main life source for the
Great Plains Indians?
 2. What U.S. law took Native land and gave it
to settlers, as well as divvying up the land that
would belong to the Natives (no more
communal living)?
 3. Which Indian War battle was the most
famous Native American victory?
 4. Which Apache warrior became a legend
because of his constant fighting with the U.S.
military?
 5. What horrendous event ended the Indian
Wars?