Sioux Tribe Research Paper

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In the early 1700’s the Great Plains was filled abundantly with buffalo. The Sioux Tribe had moved from their homeland, an area near the Missouri River, to the Great Plains, because of the threatening nature of their enemies, the Chippewa. French traders had recently given the Chippewa guns and this put the people of the Sioux Tribe on edge. After the Sioux relocated, they were amazed at the abundance of buffalo, as the land seemed to teem with these animals. The buffalo were a way of life for the Sioux. Bands of men from the tribes would take up their weapons, a first just spears and bows with arrows, but later guns, and set out to hunt the buffalos for survival. Because the Native American people believed that these buffalo were gifts from Wakan Tanka, or the Great Spirit, they did not want to waste any of the animal. (O’Neill). Buffalo hunting was a way of life for these tribes, and a way to ensure that all Indians would be fed and clothed. This, however, would not stick around thanks to the greed of Americans, the Transcontinental Railroad, and the nation’s belief that Manifest Destiny was essential to the growth of the economy. These Americans came in and began …show more content…

We had no wish to make trouble, nor did we cause it of ourselves. There was trouble, but it was not of my making. We had no thought of fighting; if we had meant to fight, would we not have carried arms? We went unarmed in the dance. How could we have held weapons? For thus we danced, in a circle, hand in hand, each man’s fingers linked to those of his neighbors” (Bull). This, however, was not how the Indians actions were viewed by non-Native Americans. Sitting Bull had allegedly said that somewhere near the old Fort Stephenson was around 1,500 stands of arms that were hidden just to ensure the Native Americans safety if they were threatened

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