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Sitting Bull

Definition

Sitting Bull was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies. He is best known for his role in the defeat of General Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Analogy

Think of Sitting Bull as a team captain refusing to let his team lose their identity and rights, much like a football captain leading his team against an opposing force trying to take over their home field.

Related terms

Battle of Little Bighorn: This was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. The battle, which occurred on June 25–26, 1876 near the Little Bighorn River in eastern Montana Territory, resulted in a major victory for the Native Americans.

Hunkpapa Lakota Tribe: A sub-tribe within the Great Sioux Nation that lived in the Dakotas. They were one among many tribes that resisted U.S. expansion into their territory.

General Custer: George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and Indian Wars who met his end at Battle of Little Bighorn.



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© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.