June 2019 44 Sitting Bull continued from page 43 The discovery caused an avalanche of prospectors and speculators rushing into the Black Hills, which was an open violation of Red Cloud's 1868 treaty. The Oglala Warrior Chief Fast Bear called Custer's trail into the Black Hills, "the Thieves Road" (Dee Brown, The American West, p.136, 1994) and both Red Cloud and Spotted Tail bitterly and angrily protested the incursion into the "sacred ground" of the Black Hills, rightfully averring that this was indeed a breach of the treaty but to no avail, as thousands of white settlers and miners protected by the U.S. Cavalry entered the Black Hills. Red Cloud and Spotted Tail were angry, but they had traveled east to Washington, they had noted the power of the United States, and they also knew deep down that a war with the whites would eventually prove disastrous for their tribes. They refused, at first, to give up the Black Hills, but they also chose to go into reservation, refusing to join the growing chorus for war, called for by Red Cloud's rival, the esteemed chief and respected "medicine man" of the Hunkpapas . . . Sitting Bull. Supported by his own warrior chief Gall and the young Oglala warrior chief Crazy Horse, who had broken with Red Cloud, Sitting Bull not only refused to give up the grounds and join Red Cloud in reservation, he also readied his people for war with the whites. When the U.S. Department of the Interior's demand that all Black Hills tribes go into reservation by January 31, 1876, or be considered hostile expired, well, Sitting Bull and the Hunkpapas, the Oglalas that chose Crazy Horse over Red Cloud, the Minconjou, and the San Arcs, together with the Northern Plains Cheyenne chose hostility. The stage was set for the Great Sioux War of 1876, and it was not long in coming. Since much has been written about the Battle of the Little Big Horn even by this writer at this same time last year, there is no need to regurgitate the story from beginning to end, but for this story of Sitting Bull there are three specific instances that shed light on his character, his leadership, and even, astonishingly his willingness to even seek peace at the last minute - a story rarely told or even noted in most history books. Let's start with the first instance, his vision of "soldiers falling into camp." Contrary to popular thought, Sitting Bull was not the war chief of the Sioux. In fact, he didn't even do battle on June 25. But what he did do as the chief medicine man was arguably as important as what his warrior chiefs Crazy Horse and Gall did in obliterating the 7th Cavalry. First, he led and he organized, gathering together all of the tribes that refused reservation. Then he called for the ceremony of the Sun Dance to be held at the great encampment on June 6th. The Sun Dance was a sacred ceremony for the Sioux and it would call for a skin sacrifice on the part of its chief medicine man - none other than Sitting Bull. At first 50 pieces of skin were cut from his left arm, then 50 more pieces of skin were cut from his other arm. Bleeding, Sitting Bull at first danced, then he silently gazed at the sky all day long, then suffering and exhausted from his ordeal, he fell unconscious. When he awoke, he claimed that he saw a vision - a vision "numerous as grasshoppers, soldiers, and horses bearing down on an Indian village below. They came, men and animals both, upside down, their feet in the sky, their heads to the earth with hats falling off. Some Indians below too he saw falling upside down (Utley, The Lance and the Shield, p.138; Brown, The American West p. 217).” The Indians gathered at the dance were delighted upon hearing of this vision, for this meant the Sioux and Cheyenne would win a great victory with all of the white soldiers killed. 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Accordingly he sent his nephew One Bull (donning his shield, the same one his father gave him when he was 14 and victorious over the Crows, the tribe that ironically was leading Reno's force into Sitting Bull's camp) and his friend Good Bear Boy out to parlay with the soldiers saying to his nephew: "I don't want my children fighting until I tell them to. That army may be coming to make peace, or be officials bringing rations to us . . . you and Good Bear Boy go up and make peace (Nathaniel Philbrick, The Last Stand, pp. 176-177, 2010).” The two braves approached Reno's skirmish line, until just 30 feet away the soldiers, men from Reno's M company, opened fire on the two truce emissaries, seriously wounding Good Bear Boy, who toppled from his horse. One Bull quickly threw his rope around the wounded Good Bear Boy, hoisted him up to his own mount, then wheeled his own horse around and galloped madly back towards the Sioux camp, bullets flying all around him. At roughly the same time two bullets smashed into Sitting Bull's favorite gray horse, instantly killing him. All bets (for peace) were now off, and Sitting Bull urged Crazy Horse to move out with his warriors and counterattack, shouting "Now my best horse is shot. Contrary to popular thought, Sitting Bull was not the war chief of the Sioux. In fact, he didn’t even do battle on June 25. But what he did do as the chief medicine man was arguably as important as what his warrior chiefs did.