Ghost Dance at Wounded Knee “The white man knows how to make everything, but he does not know how to distribute it.” Sitting Bull

Great Plains U.S. Government’s desire Railroads Settlements Divide and conquer Sitting Bull’s Attempts to Refuse Treaty for Reservation

1868-1876 Broken Treaty-Black Hills Stolen Refusal to Sell Black Hills = Attacks on Indians 9 million acres stolen from Sioux Reservation

Five Long Years Wandered Resisted U.S. Troops Canada-no refuge Turned themselves in 1881 Sitting Bull imprisoned Returned to Reservation 1884

1887 Government-took more land Miserable life on reservations * diseases * nothing would grow * Couldn’t hunt * Starvation from rations * Couldn’t leave

Ghost Dance Sitting Bull’s Hope Dance promised resurrection of old ways Restoration of Indian life forever Based on Indian Prophecies Excitement rose among the Sioux Desperate people looking for answers

Fear of Ghost Dance Whites suspicious of the dance Christians spread disgust of dance Newspapers ran reports-beware Government banned the dance

Sitting Bull’s Death Sitting Bull gathered his people Pine Ridge arrested then shot on site People fled under guidance of Big Foot Walked for days-snow Calvary intercepted-120 men & 230 women Indians surrendered

Bloody End Held captive-Whites searched for weapons Sioux had none-Big Foot began Ghost Dance Last Chance for Survival Sang about strong Sioux Hearts Scared the Troops Fires rang out Men, women, children, babies-murdered 290 Sioux died

“If we must die, we die defending our rights.” Sitting Bull