Sitting Bull was the leader of the Native Americans that the Sioux tribes united in their struggle for survival on the Great Plains of North America. Following the discovery of gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1874, the Sioux came into increasing conflict with U.S. authorities. The great Sioux Wars of the 1870s would culminate in the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn, in which Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and a confederation of tribes would defeat federal troops led by George Armstrong Custer. After several years in Canada, Sitting Bull eventually surrendered to U.S. forces with his people on the brink of starvation, and was eventually forced to settle on a reservation. In 1890, Sitting Bull was shot and killed while being arrested by U.S. and Indian agents, fearing that he would help lead the growing Ghost Dance movement aimed at restoring the Sioux way of life. Sitting Bull is remembered for his great courage and his dogged determination to resist white domination. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Born in the Grand River Valley of present-day South Dakota, Sitting Bull, or Tatanka Yotanka, received early recognition as a warrior from his tribe and a man of vision. During his youth he joined the customary tribal mounted raids against traditional enemies such as the Crow and the Assiniboin. Because the Hunkpapa lived and hunted north of the early western travel routes, Sitting Bull had little contact with whites until the Santee Sioux uprising in Minnesota in 1862. When the defeated Indians were pushed west onto the plains, he heard from them how it was life. as on a reservation. In July 1864, he was one of the defenders when General Alfred Sully used artillery against a Teton encampment on Killdeer Mountain. It was during this time that Sitting Bull decided to keep his people away from the white man's world and never sign a treaty that forced them to live on a reservation. discovered in the Black Hills, an area sacred to Native Americans that the U.S. government had recognized as their land following the Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1868. As white prospectors rushed into Sioux lands, the U.S. government presented the treaty and he declared war on all the native tribes which prevented him from taking over the territory. When Sitting Bull refused to comply with these new conditions, the stage was set for confrontation. Sitting Bull's defense of his land was rooted in both the history of his culture and the destiny he believed awaited his people. During a Sun Dance ceremony on the Little Bighorn River, where a large Native American community had established a village, Sitting Bull danced for 36 hours straight, cut off his arms as a sign of sacrifice, and deprived himself of drinking water. : This is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay At the end of this spiritual ceremony, he informed the villagers that he had received a vision in which the American army had been defeated.