Everything about Big Foot totally explained
Big Foot (
Si Thanka ) (
1824? -
December 29,
1890), also known as
Spotted Elk, was the name of a chief of a sub-group of the
Lakota Sioux. He was son of chief
Lone Horn, and became a chief upon the death of his father. He was a highly renowned chief, with skills in war and negotiations. He was killed in 1890 in
South Dakota, along with almost 300 other members of his tribe, by the
U.S. Army in what came to be known as the
Wounded Knee Massacre.
Early life
Si Tanka was born the son of Lakota Sioux Chief
Lone Horn between
1820 and
1825 into the Minneconjou — "Planters by the River" — subgroup of the Teton Lakota (Sioux). He later became the Chief of his tribe at his father's death in
1875.
Chief Big Foot
Skillful diplomat
As Chief, Big Foot (Si Tanka) was considered a great man of peace and was best known among his people for his political and
diplomatic successes. He was skilled at settling quarrels between rival parties, killing bears, and was often in great demand among other Teton bands.
Alliance with Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse
During the
1870s, he allied himself with
Sitting Bull and
Crazy Horse (together with
Touch the Clouds) against the U.S. Army, but saw no major action during the war in 1876-77. The Miniconjou Lakota suffered during the
Sioux War for the Black Hills, after which they surrendered. Following the defeat of the Sioux, Big Foot urged his followers to adapt to the white men’s ways while retaining their Lakota language and cultural traditions. Many Lakota owe their new traditions to his influence.
Reservation placement
Following the Sioux Wars, the government placed the Minneconjou on the
Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Big Foot encouraged his people to adapt to life on the reservation by developing sustainable
agriculture and building
schools for Lakota children. Big Foot was among the first
American Indians to raise
corn in accordance with government standards. Big Foot also advocated that his people take a peaceful attitude toward white settlers.
Participation in "the Ghost Dance" movement
New religious movement
Due to poor living conditions on the reservations (made worse by fraud and corruption on the part of Indian agents charged, by law, with supplying the tribe with basic necessities), the Lakota were in a state of great despair; by 1889, they began to look to a radical solution to their on-going problems.
The radical solution came in the form of "the
Ghost Dance" movement; it was a new religion initiated by a Paiute prophet named Wovoka. Big Foot and the Lakota were among the most enthusiastic believers in the Ghost Dance ceremony when it arrived among them in the spring of 1890.
Although government-imposed reservation rules outlawed the practice of the religion, the movement swept like a wild fire through their camps, causing local Indian agents to react with alarm. Some agents successfully suppressed the dancers; others called for federal troops to restore order.
The invitation of Chief Red Cloud
After Sitting Bull was killed on the Standing Rock reservation in 1890, his followers fled to seek refuge with his half-brother, Chief Big Foot. In December 1890, fearing arrest and government reprisals against his band, Big Foot headed south to the Pine Ridge Reservation at the invitation of Chief Red Cloud. Red Cloud hoped that his fellow chief could help make peace. Hoping to find safety there, having no intention of fighting, and flying a white flag, Big Foot contracted pneumonia on the journey to Pine Ridge.
Death at Wounded Knee
Peaceful surrender
On December 29, the 7th Cavalry intercepted them. Ill with pneumonia, Big Foot surrendered peacefully. The cavalry took him and his band into custody and escorted them to a site near Wounded Knee Creek, where they were to set up camp. The campsite was already established with a store and several log houses.
Wounded Knee massacre
The night before the ‘
Wounded Knee Massacre',
Colonel James Forsyth had arrived at
Wounded Knee Creek, and had ordered his men to place four
Hotchkiss cannons in position around the area in which the Indians had been forced to camp. Morning arrived, and on 29 December 1890, what has become known as the ‘Wounded Knee Massacre’ took place. Soldiers, under the command of Colonel Forsyth, entered the camp and demand that the
Native Americans gave up their weaponry. In the confrontation that ensued, a
firearm was discharged, believed to be by a deaf Indian named
Black Coyote. A large gun fight ensued and the end result was the
massacre of at least 150 Indian men, women and children, Big Foot being among one of the
killed.
Trivia
Further Information
Get more info on 'Big Foot'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://big_foot.totallyexplained.com">Big Foot Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
