Native Americans on the Plains Objective 4.02

What do we already know about how Native Americans are treated by the U.S. Government?

The Great Plains The large grassland extending through the west central portion of the United States

Indians on the Plains Dozens of Native American nations occupied the American west at the end of the Civil War. Some Indians lived in communities, but most lived nomadic lifestyles

When gold was discovered out West – millions move west – come in contact with Native Americans

Textbook Bias

The Buffalo The American bison, or buffalo, was the most important thing in the lives of the nomadic tribes Over fifteen million buffalo lived on the Great Plains in the years before the Civil War

Uses of the Buffalo Meat – food Hides – shelter, clothing Skulls – religious rituals Bones/horns - tools ALL of the buffalo was used

The Buffalo Declines The buffalo was hunted extensively by white settlers on the Plains and by thousands of commercial companies (especially railroad). By 1880, the buffalo was nearly extinct, damaging the Native American way of life.

This map shows the decline of the buffalo in North America. The darkest dots show the only areas inhabited by the buffalo by 1889.

The skulls of bison killed by white businessmen.

Words of a Sioux [We] have been taught to hunt and live on the game [buffalo]. You tell us that we must learn to farm, live in one house, and take on your ways. Suppose the people living beyond the great sea should come and tell you that you must stop farming, and kill your cattle, and take your houses and lands, what would you do? Would you not fight them?

Interactions with Whites Treaties of Fort Laramie 1851 the U.S. government was allowed to build forts and westward trails on the Plains, Native tribes to be left alone But by 1868, the Sioux, one of the largest tribes, agreed to move onto reservations in the Black Hills of South Dakota

Conflicts and Battles of the Indian Wars Sand Creek Massacre (1864) Indians that had come to a fort in Kansas to negotiate land rights with the government were massacred Fetterman’s Massacre (1866) Indians ambush federal troops in Wyoming, killing about 80 soldiers

Conflicts and Battles of the Indian Wars Battle of Little Big Horn (1876) The U.S. 7th Cavalry led by George A. Custer was entirely wiped out by Sioux Indians led by Sitting Bull

Conflicts and Battles of the Indian Wars The Nez Perce The Nez Perce Indians, led by Chief Joseph, attempted to flee from American troops rather than be forced onto reservations Chief Joseph led his followers over 1,700 miles before surrendering – his followers were sent to Oklahoma

“From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.” ~Chief Joseph, 1877

Protests over the Indians’ treatment Helen Hunt Jackson Wrote A Century of Dishonor in 1881 The book detailed the many injustices experienced by Native Americans throughout American history

The Dawes Act of 1887 Outlined the government’s plan to assimilate Native Americans into white culture Called for an end to tribal ownership of reservation lands, and the beginning of private ownership similar to the Homestead Act’s conditions Some reservation land was also sold to whites

Indian Schools Indian schools were created and designed to take the Indian out of Native American children

The Ghost Dance A ritual performed by Native American tribes throughout the West beginning in the 1880’s It was believed that if the dance was performed properly, the buffalo would return and the whites would leave the Indian land forever

Wounded Knee The U.S. Army misinterpreted the Ghost Dance as a war dance. On December 29, 1890, the 7th Cavalry approached the Sioux in South Dakota with orders to relocate them to a reservation in Oklahoma During negotiations, a Native American’s gun accidentally fired, triggering a brutal fight

Wounded Knee When the fighting ended, as many as 300 Native Americans and 25 U.S. troops were dead The dead at Wounded Knee included Sitting Bull (actually killed two weeks before the battle), and his brother Chief Big Foot Wounded Knee marked the end of the Ghost Dance and the Indian Wars

Impact of the Indian Wars The remaining Native American tribes in the West were largely forced onto reservations The Dawes Act was a massive failure many Indians struggled to adapt to the new way of life poor funding of the act led to widespread poverty among Native Americans

Indian Land in the U.S., 2007

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily_videos/native-american-tribes-band-together-to-block-oil-pipeline/ Critical thinking questions (after watching the video) Why is the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe against the building of the oil pipeline? http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily_videos/after-victory-protesters-remain-at-dakota-access-pipeline/