Brief overview of reading:

Indian Removal Act

• Native Americans promised land in the Great Plains

• Whites pushing into Indian Territory

• Small wars occured

• Policy for food and supplies put forced, maintained by U.S. Army

• Buffalo (food) and land dissapearing, forced onto reservations

The Battle of the Little Big Horn

Little Big Horn River

River where the most famous battle was fought, where several thousand Sioux and Cheyenne were camped at.

Sioux = "sue"

They were forced out of their old lands, so this is where they ended up.

Found gold in the Black Hills (Dakota Territory)

Led to 15,000 settlers invading the land in search of gold - the government demanded the Sioux to leave.

George Custer

A leader of the Sioux, Wolf Necklace, said "I never want to leave this country. All of my relatives are lying here in the ground, and when I fall to pieces I am going to fall to pieces here."

The army forced them out - so when they found them at the Little Big Horn River, they waited for reinforcements to deal with them.

What do you think is going to happen?

The Battle Begins

On Sight

Custer sees the tribes

As soon as he sees them, he immediately attacks them.

Custer splits his troops up.

Massacre

Remember, it is thousands again 260 - Custer and his army all die.

Angry whites send the army after them for months, and the tribes are tracked down and forced onto reservations.

Dawes Act

Congress passed an act that said tribes could no longer own reservation lands as a group - instead, each family was granted a plot of land that it could own or sell.

Most of the land given to them was not good for farming.

Dairy Prompt

Read the following quote by General George Crook:

“I do not wonder that when these Indians see their wives and children starving they go to war, and when we are sent out to kill. It is an outrage.”

Which side do you think he is supporting: the Native Americans or the settlers/U.S. government? What makes you think that?