CHAPTER 5: CHANGES ON THE WESTERN FRONTIER SECTION 1: CULTURES CLASH ON THE PRAIRIE

Grasslands extended through the western central portions of the United States

THE GREAT PLAINS REGION WAS POPULATED BY VARIOUS NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES SOME NOMADIC I.E. SIOUX & CHEYENNE HUNTED BUFFALO AND OTHER GAME AND FOLLOWED THE GROWING SEASONS FOR BERRIES OTHER TRIBES WERE SEDENTARY I.E. OSAGE AND IOWA LIVED IN TEEPEES GROWING CROPS AND HUNTING NEARBY

NOMADIC TRIBES DEVELOPED AS A CULTURE AFTER SPANISH INTRODUCED HORSES INTO THE WESTERN LANDSCAPE (LATE 1500S) LIVED COMMUNALLY WITH NATURE BUFFALO MEAT WAS DRIED AND USED FOR FOOD BUFFALO HIDES USED FOR TEEPEE CONSTRUCTION, SHOES, CLOTHING, AND BLANKETS

NOMADIC TRIBES SOMETIMES THESE WANDERING TRIBES WOULD CROSS INTO ANOTHER TRIBE'S TERRITORY WHILE HUNTING - THIS LED TO WAR AMONG TRIBES IT WAS A SIGN OF HONOR IF A YOUNG BRAVE KILLED AN ENEMY TO THE TRIBE OR IF THEY WOULD COUNT COUP (VIA THEIR COUP STICK)

NOMADIC TRIBES OTHER TIMES TRIBES WOULD ARRANGE TRUCES AND SHARE IN HARVEST CELEBRATIONS

NOMADIC AND SEDENTARY: TRIBES HAD MANY THINGS IN COMMON UPBRINGING: YOUNG MEN TRAINED TO BE HUNTERS AND WARRIORS YOUNG WOMEN CLEANED ANIMAL HIDES AND PREPARED KILLS FOR FOOD RELIGION BELIEVED VARIOUS SPIRITS CONTROLLED EVENTS IN THE NATURAL WORLD THOSE WHO SHOWED SPECIAL SENSITIVITY TO THE SPIRITS BECAME SHAMANS OR HEALERS FOR THEIR TRIBES

NOMADIC OR SEDENTARY TRIBES: TRIBES HAD MANY THINGS IN COMMON EDUCATION-CHILDREN LEARNED LANGUAGE, HISTORY, AND TRADITION THROUGH STORIES, GAMES, AND THE EXAMPLE OF THEIR ELDERS GOVERNMENT-TRIBES WERE RULED BY A COUNCIL (GROUP CONSENT) LAND-NO ONE OWNED LAND

EPIC ENCOUNTERS EUROPEAN (NOW AMERICAN) VIEW OF RELIGION, LAND OWNERSHIP, AND GOVERNMENT WERE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE NATIVES AS THE NATIVE AMERICANS HAD NOT “SETTLED DOWN” AND “IMPROVED” UPON THE WESTERN TERRITORY, AMERICANS VIEWED THE LAND AS “UP FOR GRABS”

GOLD & SILVER & WEALTH..OH MY THE DISCOVERY OF PRECIOUS METALS DREW DROVES OF FORTUNE SEEKERS WEST AS WELL THEY BUILT THEIR MINING CAMPS ON NATIVE LAND

THE US GOVERNMENT IN 1834 THE US GOVERNMENT DECLARED THE GREAT PLAINS (THE ENTIRE THING) A RESERVATION FOR NATIVE AMERICANS IN 1850 THEY CHANGED THEIR MINDS, DRAWING SPECIAL TERRITORIES WHERE EACH TRIBE SHOULD LIVE BIG SURPRISE..THE NATIVE TRIBES IGNORED THEM)

THE US GOVERNMENT THIS LED TO INEVITABLE CLASHES BETWEEN NATIVES AND SETTLERS/MINERS ON THE PLAINS

THE US GOVERNMENT EX. 1864: MASSACRE AT SAND CREEK HUNDREDS OF CHEYENNE HAD SET UP WINTER ON THEIR RESERVATION LAND IN COLORADO, BUT A US ARMY GENERAL NAMED CURTIS SENT HIS FORCES IN TO SHOW THE NATIVES SOME HUMILITY 150 INHABITANTS OF SAND CREEK WERE KILLED (MOSTLY WOMEN & CHILDREN)

THE BOZEMAN TRAIL A SETTLEMENT TRAIL THAT RAN RIGHT THROUGH SIOUX TERRITORY SIOUX CHIEF RED CLOUD APPEALED TO THE USA GOVERNMENT TO STOP SETTLEMENT IN THIS REGION DEC. 1866 AS THE TRAFFIC DID NOT CEASE, A SIOUX WARRIOR NAMED CRAZY HORSE LED AN ATTACK ON AN ARMY COMPANY KILLING 80 SOLDIERS

TREATY OF FORT LARAMIE US GOVERNMENT AGREED TO CLOSE THE BOZEMAN TRAIL AND IN EXCHANGE SEVERAL SIOUX LEADERS SIGNED THE TREATY OF FORT LARAMIE

PROBLEM?? NOT ALL SIOUX TRIBES SIGNED HUNKPAPA SIOUX CHIEF

FURTHER CONFLICT THE SIOUX, RAISED AS NOMADS, HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME LIVING IN A CONFINED AREA THE US ARMY GAVE ORDERS TO DESTROY NATIVE VILLAGES AND PONIES, KILL ALL WARRIORS, AND BRING WOMEN AND CHILDREN BACK TO RESERVATION TERRITORY

1874 BLACK HILL WIDELY PUBLICIZED, THIS DREW THOUSANDS TO THE BLACK HILLS…HOME OF THE SIOUX

INFAMOUS EVENT…CUSTER’S LAST STAND JUNE 1876 REMAINING SIOUX AND CHEYENNE TRIBES CAME TOGETHER FLANKED THE APPROACHING US 7TH CAVALRY LED BY GEORGE A. CUSTER KILLED EVERY SINGLE SOLDIER DESPITE THIS VICTORY THE SIOUX WERE FORCED TO SURRENDER BY LATE 1876

SITTING BULL THE FAMOUS CHIEF SURRENDERED IN ORDER TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM STARVATION HE EVENTUALLY BECOMES A PRIMARY ATTRACTION BUFFALO BILL’S WILD WEST SHOW…ANNIE GET YOUR GUN ANYONE????

NOW…WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE INDIANS? WHILE THERE WERE A FEW WHO SAID; WOW-WE ROBBED THESE PEOPLE OF EVERYTHING MOST SAID “THEY SHOULD JUST BE LIKE US” THE TERM FOR THIS IS “ASSIMILATION” – GIVING UP YOUR BELIEFS AND WAY OF LIFE TO BE LIKE THE DOMINANT CULTURE

THE DAWES ACT WHAT IT SAID… WHAT IT DID… BROKE UP INDIAN RESERVATIONS AND INSTEAD GAVE 160 ACRES/FAMILY AND 80 ACRES/SINGLE ADULT REMAINDER OF RESERVATION LAND SOLD TO SETTLERS WITH PROFIT GOING TO NATIVES FOR FARM EQUIPMENT THEY RECEIVED THE LAND, BUT NO MONEY FOR PLOWS, FARM ANIMALS, SEEDS, ETC. THE SETTLERS TOOK 2/3RDS OF THE RESERVATION LAND

THE END COMES EVER CLOSER BUFFALO HUNTING => THE NEWEST SPORT IN AMERICA 1800 EST. 65,000,000 BUFFALO 1890 EST. 1,000 BUFFALO

BATTLE OF WOUNDED KNEE A DESPERATE SIOUX PEOPLE LOOKED TO THE OLD WAYS TO RESTORE AND SAVE THEIR PEOPLE PART OF THE RITUAL INCLUDED THE GHOST DANCE IT COMPLETELY FREAKED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS THEY WENT TO ARREST THE GREAT SIOUX CHIEF SITTING BULL – IN THE END THEY SHOT HIM ON SIGHT

DECEMBER 1890 – WOUNDED KNEE THE US 7TH CAVALRY ROUNDED UP THE REMAINING 350ISH SIOUX WHO WERE STARVING AND EXPOSED AND TOOK THEM TO WOUNDED KNEE (S. DAKOTA) THEY ORDERED THAT ALL WEAPONS BE TURNED OVER A SHOT RANG OUT AND A MELEE ENSUED

DECEMBER 28TH, 1890 300 UNARMED SIOUX LAY DEAD BY THE TIME FIRING CEASED HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=DC7FZONJD1M IT WAS THE END OF THE END FOR NATIVE AMERICANS