Lakota Paper Essay Example

diversionary attack on a party of woodcutters from the fort, prompting Colonel Henry Carrington to order Colonel Fetterman to provide aid with a group of 80 troopers. Crazy Horse and 10 other decoy warriors then rode into view of the fort, causing Carrington to fire an artillery round at them. However, the decoys quickly ran away as if frightened.

The group of woodcutters successfully returned to the fort, while Colonel Fetterman and his troops pursued Crazy Horse and his decoys, falling right into their trap. The soldiers were ambushed and slaughtered with a rain of 40,000 arrows, resulting in 81 casualties. This event, known as the Fetterman Massacre, marked the army's most significant loss in the Western region until the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. This defeat led to a reassessment of the military's commitment to safeguarding the Bozeman Trail, and eventually, all the forts were abandoned, leading to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. This treaty granted the Lakota ownership of their hunting grounds and sacred religious sites, including the Black Hills. Moreover, the United States agreed to compensate the Lakota while allowing settlers to pass through their territory.

Initially, the U.S. government assured the Lakota that they would establish a safe passage in their hunting grounds and safeguard them. Moreover, they promised to shield their land from white settlement and infringement. However, this agreement did not last long and sparked a conflict between Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and their fighters with the U.S. government.

The discovery of gold in the Black Hills of Dakota Territory in 1874 by General George Armstrong Custer's expedition caused a rush of prospectors to the area, which was considered off-limits

to white settlement by the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, and was also a Sacred site for many tribes. The Lakota defended their land and attacked those who intruded. Despite government efforts to purchase the Black Hills, they failed and the commissioner of Indian Affairs decreed that all Lakota not settled on reservations by January 31, 1876, would be considered hostile. Sitting Bull, his warriors and his people resisted and held their ground.

In March, General George Crook, General Alfred Terry, and Colonel John Gibbon led federal troops into the area while Sitting Bull summoned the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho to his camp on Rosebud Creek in Montana Territory. During the sun dance ritual where they offered prayers to Wakan Tanka, their Great Spirit, Sitting Bull had a vision where soldiers fell into the Lakota camp akin to grasshoppers. Inspired by this vision, Crazy Horse, the Oglala Lakota war chief, led 500 warriors in a surprise attack against Crook's troops on June 17 at the Battle of the Rosebud. With this victory, the Lakota celebrated by moving their camp to the valley of the Little Bighorn Rivers. Moreover, 3,000 Indians who had left the reservations to follow Sitting Bull joined them there.

On the 25th of June, the Seventh Cavalry, commanded by George Armstrong Custer, attacked them. Despite being vastly outnumbered, Custer's troops charged the encampment, seemingly fulfilling Sitting Bull's prophetic vision. They eventually held their ground on a nearby ridge, only to be completely annihilated. This military failure sparked widespread public outrage and led to the dispatch of thousands more cavalrymen to the region. Over the next year, these troops relentlessly pursued the Lakota people,

who had scattered after the Custer battle and forced many of their chiefs to surrender. However, Sitting Bull remained defiant. In May of 1877, he took his band across the Canadian border beyond the reach of U.S. forces.

Although Red Cloud surrendered to the U.S. government and received aid, his actions caused a divide among the Lakota people and made them feel like cowards, resulting in separation within their community. Meanwhile, the U.S. Army continued their operations.

Due to past incidents, the influx of white settlers increased, resulting in the Lakota people being relocated to ever-shrinking reservations with inadequate lands for survival. Additionally, they lost their sacred lands, particularly the black hills - their most sacred site, referred to as the place of the beginning. To this day, this land remains under dispute and there seems to be no end in sight. Presently, tourism serves as the primary source of income for the Black Hills region, generating over $100 million annually for local communities. However, the Lakota people - who live in the poorest conditions in the country - do not benefit from this industry. As a result, they suffer from conditions such as alcoholism, diabetes, inaccessible education and poverty.

The lack of compassion and monetary gain of the white man during the settlement of the west led to a current dispute over lands. The local farmers and ranchers believe these lands are rightfully theirs and question why the Lakota won't accept the offered reparations of 100 million from the federal government in the 1980's. However, to the Lakota, selling their sacred places is unimaginable as it is equivalent to selling a mother or child. It is

like asking Jews to sell the Wailing Wall or Catholics to sell the crucifixion site. This could ignite major upheavals, start wars, and affect future generations. The treatment of the Lakota's religion and the taking away and defilement of their sacred sites has caused them to lose their identity and become a lost people.

The Lakota people in a country that values religious and speech freedom have suffered a true disservice. The 1866 treaty should be regarded as an agreement to uphold their rights. While settlements have been established in their territory, a mutually agreed upon arrangement must be made. Whether it entails returning the sacred lands to the Lakota people or allocating funds from tourism for education and reservation improvement, measures must be taken to remedy the repeated historical mistreatment of indigenous people, serving as an example for future disputes.

Bibliography including several resources such as the book Facing East from Indian Country by Daniel K Richter, the book Major Problems in American Indian History by Albert L Hurtado and Peter Iverson, the book “We are Still Here” American Indians in the Twentieth Century by Peter Iverson, and the book Our Hearts Fell to the Ground by Colin G Calloway. Also included are various in-class films and handouts.