Struggle Over Culture
Native Americans Fight to Survive
CULTURES CLASH ON THE
PRAIRIE
 The culture of the
Plains Indians was
not well known to
Easterners
 The Osaga and the
Iowa had hunted and
planted in the Great
plains for over 100
years
 Tribes such as the
Sioux and Cheyenne
hunted buffalo
THE PLAINS
THE HORSE AND THE
BUFFALO
 The introduction of
horses by the
Spanish (1598) and
later guns, meant
natives were able to
travel and hunt
 While the horse
provided speed and
mobility, it was the
buffalo that provided
for basic needs
BUFFALO WERE USED FOR
FOOD, SHELTER AND
CLOTHING
Plains Indians relied heavily on the buffalo.
Nothing on the animal was wasted.
Buffalo Jump-Episode 1 15:15
FAMILY LIFE ON THE
PLAINS
 Before the arrival of
Europeans, Plains tribes
lived in villages along
rivers and streams
 Small extended families
were the norm
 Men were hunters,
hunting deer, elk, and
buffalo, while women
helped butcher the game
and prepare it
 Women tended beans,
corn, and squash
 Spanish brought horses
in the 1500’s
 Tribes were very spiritual
and land was communal
OSAGE TRIBE
Medicine Man Ep. 1 58:52
A Clash of Cultures
 U.S. Government first moved Native Americans
west of the Mississippi in 1830’s
 Promised that land was theirs “as long as the
grass grows or water runs”
 Gov't policy was determined by belief that
white settlers were not interested in the Plains
 Wagon trains crossed plains in the 1850's
 Promises broken repeatedly
 Pioneers saw possibilities for farming and
ranching on grasslands
 Pressured Government for more land and
protection
The Trail of Tears was a forced movement of Cherokee
tribe to Indian territory of Oklahoma during the winter
of 1838-39. (P)
One-fourth died along the march. The government forced
them to move to Oklahoma. (O)
The Trail Where They Cried
SETTLERS PUSH WESTWARD
A COVERED WAGON
HEADS WEST
 The white settlers
who pushed
westward had a
different idea about
land ownership
 Concluding that the
plains were
“unsettled, “
thousands advanced
to claim land
 Gold being
discovered in
Colorado only
intensified the rush
for land
NATIVES AND SETTLERS
CLASH
 1834 – Government
set aside all of the
Great Plains as
“Indian lands”
 1850s- Government
shifts policy, giving
natives much smaller
lands
 Conflict ensues
 1864 - Massacre at
Sand Creek; US
Army attack killing
150 native women
and children
THE GOVERNMENT
RESTRICTS NATIVES
 As more and more
settlers headed
west, the U.S.
government
increasingly
protected their
interests
 Railroad Companies
also influenced
government
decisions
RAILROADS GREATLY
IMPACTED NATIVE LIFE
1851-The First Treaty of Fort
Laramie
 Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and other
Plains tribes met near Fort Laramie in
Wyoming
 Government officials offered $50,000 for
50 years to tribes
 Set boundaries for tribal lands (P)
 Indians offered safe passage across
plains, giving peace for awhile
 Indians felt they had no other choice
than to sign the treaty
 Gov’t never paid money to Indians
 Peace lasted for awhile (O)
The Sand Creek Massacre occurred on
November 29, 1864.
1864 -The Sand Creek Massacre
Cheyenne and Sioux resisted Fort
Laramie Treaty
Rather would have conflict with
settlers and government than live
on reservations
Cheyenne warriors attacked miners
and soldiers in southeastern
Colorado
1200 Colorado militia opened fire
on a peaceful Cheyenne village,
killing 150 Cheyenne men, women,
and children
In one of the most sordid affairs between whites and American
Indians, more than 200 Cheyennes, mainly women and children, lay
dead following Col. John M. Chivington’s destruction of Black
Kettle’s Southern Cheyenne village nestled along Sand Creek in
southeastern Colorado, on November 29, 1864. The Chivington
massacre included the mutilation of Indians, including severed
genitals. Black Kettle’s village had camped near Fort Lyon with the
understanding that they were friendly, an American flag flew from
the village.
Black Kettle is second from
the left in the front.
“What you are proposing is murder,” Lt. Joseph Cramer told his commanding
officer, Colonel John Chivington of the Third Colorado Cavalry, shortly before
daybreak on the morning of the planned assault. Cramer and several other
members of Chivington’s command staff had severe misgivings about the
prospect of a sneak attack against a band of defenseless Cheyenne Indians who
had been promised protection.
Chief Black Kettle had distinguished himself through repeated efforts to secure
the peace – on one occasion riding weaponless between opposing skirmish lines
to prevent a battle from breaking out. In witness of his non-belligerency he had
been provided with a United States flag by military officers who promised to
protect the Cheyenne and Arapahos who lived in his encampment.
Episode 4 22:16 from http://beforeitsnews.com/strange/2012/10/what-toremember-on-memorial-day-2444284.html
Some of the Army officers who
came to Fort Phil Kearny were
"fire-eaters," who hoped to prove
their courage and win recognition
by battling the Indians. Foremost
among these was Captain William
Fetterman, who boasted that if he
were given 80 soldiers he could
"ride through the entire Sioux
nation." One day, Fetterman was
sent out with 80 mounted troopers
to protect a column of soldiers that
were bringing wood to the fort. A
party of Indians led by Crazy
Horse appeared on a ridge near the
fort and, contrary to orders,
Fetterman led his troops in pursuit
of the Indians, over the ridge and
out of site of the fort. On the other
side of the ridge, Fetterman found
himself in the midst of a thousand
hostile Indian warriors. Fetterman
had been lured into a trap, and he
and his entire command were
quickly and totally wiped out.
Fetterman Massacre
1866
Episode 4 47:48
1868 - The Second Treaty of Fort
Laramie
 Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho
signed treaty
 Gave these tribes a large reservation in
the Black Hills of South Dakota
 In 1874, white prospectors discovered
gold in the Black Hills
 1000’s of miners rushed onto Sioux land
 No attention was paid to the treaty
 Tribal leaders rejected offer to buy back
land
 United under Sitting Bull and Crazy
Horse
Indians were
promised that the
Black Hills would be
theirs as long as
"the grass grows
and the water
flows" (P) according
to the Second Treaty
of Fort Laramie. In
this case that was all
of 8 years.
Gold discovered in Black Hills caused a flood of
Prospectors who refused to honor treaty. Indians
resisted. (O)
Tatanka-Iyotanka
(1831-1890), also
known as Sitting Bull
was the chief of the
Lakota Sioux tribe
who fought against
American expansion
into the Great Plains
region of the Dakotas.
Sitting Bull was killed
by a Lakota
policemen who put a
bullet through his
head.
Battle of the Washita River
 The Battle of Washita River (or Battle of the
Washita), occurred on November 27, 1868, when
Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s 7th U.S.
Cavalry attacked Black Kettle’s Cheyenne camp
on the Washita River near present day
Cheyenne, Oklahoma
 Custer had been suspended from command and
rank for 1 year for desertion and mistreatment of
soldiers in a military court
 Custer attacked the sleeping village and within
15 minutes scores of Cheyenne were killed (103)
 Black Kettle had met with the U.S. military the
day before the attack in a show of peace
 Black Kettle was killed in the attack and 53
women and children were captured
1876 – The Battle of Little Bighorn
Seventh Calvary under the
command of Lt. Col. George A.
Custer set out to return the Sioux to
the reservations
June 25, 1876, Custer’s forces met
several thousand Sioux and
Cheyenne near the Little Bighorn
River in Montana
In less than 2 hours, Custer and his
men, 211 in all- were wiped out
Resistance in the Northwest and
Southwest
Nez Perce were a peaceful tribe in
the Northwest (eastern Oregon and
Idaho)
Land guaranteed by 1855 treaty
Government forced them to sell
land as settlement increased in
1860’s (P)
Chief Joseph led group that refused
to sell land and move to a narrow
strip of land in Idaho
Chief Joseph resisted and
led his band on a 1700 mile,
3 month march through
rugged terrain. He was
finally captured and forced
to surrender. (O)
In 1877, a group of Nez
Perce Indians, led by
Chief Joseph, refused to
move to new lands in
Idaho and fled, seeking
refuge in Canada. For 3
months the Nez Perce
traveled across 1,700
miles of rugged terrain in
Oregon, Washington,
Idaho, Wyoming, and
Montana with army
troops in pursuit. The
U.S. army caught up with
them just 40 miles from
the Canadian border.
Chief Joseph said, “I will
fight no more, forever.”
 In the Southwest, both the Navajos and
the Apaches fought against being
removed to reservations
 U.S. troops ended Navajo resistance in
Arizona in 1863 by burning Navajo homes
and crops
 8,000 Navajos were forced on a brutal 300
mile journey to a reservation in eastern
New Mexico (P)
 Called “the Long Walk”
 Hundreds died on the way
 Allowed to return to Arizona after 4 years
(O)
Most of the Navajos were forced to walk more than
300 miles to captivity; many did not survive the
journey.
Once the Indians had all been "tamed" and
Americans no longer saw them as a
threat, a fascination with the Old West
and Native Americans began in earnest.
Wild West Shows such as Buffalo Bill
Cody's and Pawnee Bill's at the turn of
the century drew hundreds of
spectators as the productions staged
re-creations of historic battles, "Indian
Races," live buffalo, and the biggest
attraction of all - famous Indians. Some
of these included Sitting Bull, Chief
Joseph, Geronimo, and Rains in the
Face (reported to be the man who killed
Custer).
1887 - The Policy of assimilation
made official by the Dawes Act
 Many well-meaning reformers wanted
Native Americans to be assimilated
into society by “Americanizing” them
or making them like whites by making
them give up their traditional ways
and become farmers
 Reservations were divided into plots
for each family and sent children to
special boarding schools where they
were taught white culture (P)
THE DAWES ACT - 1887
FAMOUS DEPICTION OF
NATIVE STRUGGLE
 The Dawes Act of
1887 attempted to
assimilate natives
 The Act called for the
break up of
reservations and the
introduction of
natives into
American life
 By 1932, 2/3rds of the
land committed to
Natives had been
taken (O)
1890 – The Spread of the Ghost
Dance movement; the Wounded
Knee Massacre
Buffalo herds dwindled from 30
million to almost extinction
By 1880’s most Plains tribes were
forced on reservations
Paiute prophet, Wavoka, urged Native
Americans to perform the “Ghost
Dance” because of his vision in which
whites were removed and Natives
could hunt the buffalo
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The Ghost Dance was the last desperate hope of
the Plains Indians to regain the old way of life
the white man had wrested from them.
It arose from a vision by a Paiute medicine man
named Wavoka, who in 1889 was in a high fever
at the time of a major eclipse of the sun.
He said that in his vision he was carried to the
afterworld, where all those who had died were
living a happy life.
The movement spread like wildfire.
Tribes as widely dispersed as the Sioux,
Cheyenne, Comanche, Shoshone, and Arapaho
began dancing and chanting to make the white
man go away and the great buffalo herds
return.
In the painting, Arapaho figures wear buckskin
garments with long, flowing fringes, ghost shirts
supposed to be impervious to bullets.
They cast dust into the wind to signify the
burial of the whites beneath the earth.
The movement greatly alarmed the authorities.
Trouble came to a head on December 29, 1890.
The Seventh Cavalry, still keen upon vengeance
for Custer, massacred almost a hundred and
fifty men, women, and children at Wounded
Knee Creek, losing twenty five of their own.
BATTLE OF WOUNDED KNEE
HUNDREDS OF CORPSES
WERE LEFT TO FREEZE ON
THE GROUND
 On December 29, 1890,
the Seventh Cavalry
rounded up 350 Sioux
and took them to
Wounded Knee, S.D.
and tried disarm them
(P)
 A shot was fired –
within minutes the
Seventh Cavalry
slaughtered 300
unarmed Natives (O)
 This event brought the
“Indian Wars”– and an
entire era to a bitter
end
 Ghost Dance Episode 6
1:30
THE DARK AREAS DEPICT NATIVE LANDS BY 1894
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE
BUFFALO
 The most significant
blow to tribal life on
the plains was the
destruction of the
buffalo
 Tourist and fur
traders shot buffalo
for sport
 1800: 65 million
buffalo roamed the
plains
 1890: less than 1000
remained
Issues With Indians
Trail of Tears
1838-39
First Treaty of Fort Laramie
1851
Second Treaty of Fort
Laramie - 1868
Chief Joseph and the
Nez Perc - 1877
The Long Walk - 1863
The Dawes Act
1887
Wounded Knee
1890
Government Policy
Outcome
Forced movement of Native
Americans from east of the
Mississippi to West of the
Mississippi from 1838-39.
One-fourth died along the march.
Offered Indians $50,000 for 50
years for safe passage of settlers.
Set boundaries for tribal lands.
Had no choice but sign.
Government never paid money
owed to Indians. Had peace for
awhile
Offered large area of the Black
Hills to Lakota Sioux “as long as
the grass grows and the water
runs.”
Gold discovered in Black Hills
caused a flood of prospectors
who refused to honor treaty.
Indians resisted.
Guaranteed land on reservation
in 1855 treaty. Government forced
them to sell land in 1860’s.
Chief Joseph resisted and led his
band on a 1700 mile, 3 month
march through rugged terrain.
Finally captured and surrendered.
Navajo and Apache had fought
against being removed to
reservations. U.S. troops rounded
up 8000 Navajos and forced them
to march 300 miles to a
reservation in New Mexico.
Hundred died along the way but
after 4 years the government
allowed them to return to their
homes in Arizona.
Reformers want to “Americanize”
Indians by assimilating them into
American society by giving up
traditional ways and becoming
farmers. Children sent to schools.
Indians lost 2/3 of their lands and
children began to learn white
culture.
Indians began performing the ghost
dance from vision by Wovoka. Many
Sioux had left reservations and were
rounded up and sent to temporary
camp along the Wounded Knee
Creek in SD.
A shot was fired and the army
open up on the Indian population,
killing 300 men, women, and
children. Last resistance by Native
Americans in U.S.
1850
Fill in the time line with information pertaining to the conflicts between Native Americans
and American settlers.
1851-First Treaty of Fort Laramie
1860
1863-Navajo resistance ended with “The Long Walk”
1864-Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado
1866-Fetterman Massacre
1868-Second Treaty of Fort Laramie; Battle of the Washita River
1870
1876-The Battle of Little Bighorn wipes out Custer and his men
1877-Chief Joseph resists US Army for 3 months and surrenders
1880
1887-The Dawes Act begins government policy of Assimilation
1890-Ghost Dancers create tension leading to Wounded Knee Massacre
1890
1900
Complete the information in the chart below.
Issues With Indians
Trail of Tears
1838-39
First Treaty of Fort Laramie
1851
Second Treaty of Fort
Laramie - 1868
Chief Joseph and the
Nez Perc - 1877
The Long Walk - 1863
The Dawes Act
1887
Wounded Knee
1890
Government Policy
Outcome