Conflict with the Native Americans

• Government acquiring of Indian Lands 1860-1900…

• Treaties• Land purchases• Forced relocation (reservation system)• Wars• Looking the other way

Conflict with the Native AmericansI. Failure of Reservation System 1860s-1880s

- Federal lands set aside for Native American Tribes (forced settlement – eliminate nomadic lifestyle)

- Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) - Unfair/corrupt management of

supplies/food to reservations- 500+ broken treaties

“I have taken the white man by hand, thinking him to be a friend, but he is not a friend; government has deceived us…” Kicking Bird, Kiowa

US Government supports AssimilationAssimilation = plan under which native Americans would give up their beliefs and way of life and become part of the white culture.

I. Dawes Act, 1887 or General Allotment Act- “Americanize” Native Americans by cultivating in them

the desire to own property and farm. - Broke up reservations – 160 acres offered for farming or

320 acres for grazing given to each head of native family.- Remainder of land would be sold to settlers and money given to Native Tribe- Cultivate the concept of private property

- Native Americans never receive a dime!

General Allotment Act, 1887 (Dawes Act)

“Educating” the Native AmericanI. The Carlisle Indian School

- Native children taken from families and educated in boarding schools in the “white mans” way.

Assimilation

Destruction of the Buffalo-Railroads run through native lands-Buffalo hunters, tourists, and fur traders destroy the very basis of Great Plains culture

Reasons for destruction of buffalo

• Herds of Buffalo could delay trains for hours even days

• On tracks, or on track in mountain or hillsides• Stampedes damaged tracks, accidents, etc.• Buffalo meat was competition for the cattle

industry• Plus, it was a way the US government could

move Indians off lands by killing Buffalo in an area

Conflict with Native Americans

• Those Indian leaders who refused the Reservation system and refused assimilation did one of two things…

1.Fled to Canada or Mexico2.Fought to defend their way of life and cultural

genocide!

Key Wars / BattlesI. Apache and Navajo Wars

A. Apache in AZ, CO, and NM territories

- Col. Christopher “Kit” Carson kills or relocates Apache to reservations 1862.

- Geronimo fights until surrender In 1886.

B. Navajo in NM, and CO- Navajo attempt to surrender in 1863, but are attacked

by Carson and hundreds are killed, homelands are destroyed

- Moved onto reservations in NM, 1865- Gallup, NM (Largest Res. In US)

Apache and Navajo Lands

Geronimo

Geronimo and Apache Warriors

“Kit” Carson

Key War / BattlesII. Sand Creek Massacre, 1864

A. Southern Cheyenne, and Arapaho in southern PlainsB. Cheyenne massacres of settlers prompts Col. John

Chivington to retaliate killing up to 500 and forcing Chief Black Kettle to surrender.

Sand Creek Massacre & Chief Black Kettle

Sand Creek Massacre & Col. John Chivington

III.Red River War, 1874-1875• A. Comanche and southern branches of

Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Arapaho in southern plains

• Indians relocated to Oklahoma where the buffalo had been nearly destroyed by hunters

• C. Gen. William T. Sherman & Gen. Philip H. Sheridan respond to Comanche warriors aggression against hunters in Texas Panhandle. Land opened for cattle ranching

Gen. William T. Sherman & Philip Sheridan

Key Wars / BattlesIV. The Battle of Little Big Horn, 1876

A. Back ground of Violence on the Bozeman Trail- Chief Red Cloud fights 2 year War to prevent US

from entering the Black Hills region near the Bighorn Mountains (1866-1868)

B. Red Cloud wins and forces US to abandon Bozeman Trail & Sioux reservation is created (Treaty of Fort

Laramie) - 1868

Bozeman Trail

Custer’s Last Stand• Gen. George Armstrong Custer sent to investigate

and report on Sioux situation in Black Hills region of Montana

• reports of violence against Settlers searing for gold in Black Hills

• Custer’s Last Stand, June 25th, 1876.• He attacks a mixed encampment of along the Little

Big Horn River in Montana (Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho)

• Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull lead army of 2,000 against Custer’s 7th Calvary (300+ men, 7 companies)

Black Hills, Sioux Lands

The Battle of Little Big Horn 1876

Red Cloud & Sitting Bull

Crazy Horse & George Armstrong Custer

Fatal Mistakes by Custer• Under-estimated strength and numbers of

Indian encampment• Custer divided his forces in three to

coordinate an attack on the Indian village to prevent escape and attack both the northern and southern ends of encampment simultaneously.

• Captain Frederick Benteen• Major Marcus Reno• Custer himself

- The Sioux split Custer’s forces in two and slaughter all 200+ of the men under Custer’s direct command (Custer’s battalion)

- 5 of the 7 companies annihilated

- American’s want all out war with Sioux

- From 1876 to 1890 the Sioux are placed on reservations throughout their lands or killed in bloody conflict with US Government

Battlefield Map

Battle of Little Big Horn

Custer’s Last Stand

Key Wars / BattlesV. Nez Perce War, 1877

A. Gen. Oliver Howard orders Chief Joseph and Nez Perce onto Idaho reservation, violence erupts.

B. Chief Joseph attempts to flee to Canada (join Sitting Bull) but is caught by Col. Nelson Miles 40 miles short

C. Nez Perce sent to reservation in Oklahoma where most die of disease by 1885.

d. Eventually Joseph negotiates a return to ID, and he dies of a “Broken Heart”

Chief Joseph = Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekht (thunder traveling to loftier heights)

Chief Joseph, Nez Perce

VI.The Battle of Wounded Knee, 1890A. Sioux last tribe to hold out against US Government, but

most are eventually moved on to the reservation, including Chief Sitting Bull (Standing Rock Res., ND)

B. A Piute Shaman named Wovoka brings a message of hope to the Sioux people. Sitting Bull support it.

C. The Ghost Dance movement begins and raises fear of a Sioux uprising around the agencies of the Great Sioux Res.

The End of an Era of Conflict

D. Chief Sitting Bull is shot and killed during arrest

E. Dec. 29th, 1890 Custers old 7th Calvary rounds up 350 starving and freezing Sioux and take them to camp at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota

F. Soldiers demand they give up their weapons, one resists and fires a shot…the soldiers fire back

- In minutes 300+ unarmed Sioux are slaughtered - Due to weather dead bodies are left to freeze - The Massacre/Battle of Wounded Knee brings a bitter end to war with Native Americans and the era

Forgotten Fathers of our Nation