Native Americans Culture and Change Culture

Native Americans Culture and Change

Culture • Some Native Americans were farmers, most were nomads following buffalo herds • Native Am lived in extended family groups • Dependent on nature for food and religion • Lived in bands of 500 headed by governing council • Gender determined task assignment

Changes under Pressure • Ranchers, miners, and farmers move into Plains territory • Result deprived Native Am of hunting grounds and forced to relocate • Railroad building through plains territory • Disruption of buffalo herds

Resistance • 1862 Sioux uprising; Sioux moved to reservations in Minnesota • Government promise payments to support themselves • Traders keep payments to pay off debts • 1862 Congress delayed payments • Dakota tribe faced starvation; denied credit to buy food

Sioux uprising • Chief Little Crow wage war against soldiers not civilians • Lost control of warriors- slaughter civilians • Military tribunal sentenced 307 Dakota Indians to death- only 38 executed • Military troops sent to patrol plains to prevent further uprisings

Lakota Indians • • Chief Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull Fight to control their hunting grounds 1866 Military defeated by Red Cloud Fetterman’s Massacre- Crazy Horse ambush army • Sand Creek Massacre- between Cheyenne, Arapaho and miners

Sand Creek cont. • Native Am attacked wagon trains, stole horses and cattle; 200 settlers killed • Native Am orders to surrender at Fort Lyons and some complied • 1864 Remaining Indians under Chief Black Kettle seek peace; told to wait at Sand Creek • No one knows what really happened

Sand Creek cont. • Some say Chief Black Kettle flew both the American flag and white truce flag • Some say the army brutally murdered the Indians • Others say they battled for two days and in the end 14 soldiers died anywhere from 60 -600 Native Americans died

Indian Peace Commission • Formed in 1867 • Created two large reservation for Sioux and Southern Plains Indians • Bureau of Indian Affairs put in charge • Native Am were forced to sign treaties • Did not guarantee compliance with terms • Result- Indians on reservation faced poverty and corruption

Last Native American Wars • By 1870’s many Native Am leave reservations in disgust • Return to traditional life of hunting • Buffalo herds depleted • Buffalo hunters kill for hides and sport • Railroad hire sharpshooters • Military encouraged buffalo hunting

Battle Little Bighorn • Background- Lakota and Sioux reservations located in Black Hills where gold discovered • Native Am moved to Bighorn Mts. In Montana • June 25, 1876 Lt. Col. George Custer launched a 3 prong attack in broad daylight on Lakota

Battle Little Bighorn cont • 2500 Lakota and Cheyenne resist; killed 210 soldiers • Newspapers portrayed Custer as victim of massacre • Fear retaliation, Sitting Bull flees to Canada • Chief Joseph of Nez Perce tribe refused to return to reservation

Little Bighorn cont. • • Chief Joseph retreat on 1300 mile journey 1877 Chief Joseph surrendered Native Am resistance ended 1890 Lakota defied army orders and continued to perform the “Ghost Dance” • Sitting Bull arrested but in resistance died • Troops tried to disarm Native Am at Wounded Knee Creek

Last Battle • Wounded Knee; 200 Native Americans died, 25 soldiers • In the aftermath- authors such as Helen Hunt Jackson bring attention to the plight of the Native Americans • She wrote “A Century of Dishonor” 1881 • Focus on the need to assimilate Native American

Dawes Act 1887 • Head of household received 160 acres; single men 80 acres, children 40 acres. • Rest of reservation land sold to settlers and the money put into a trust fund for Native Americans • Some Native Am succeeded as farmers • Most lacked the desire or the training • Private ownership of land went against tradtion