Chief spotted elk biography books

Big Foot and his people were among the most enthusiastic believers in the Ghost Dance ceremony when it arrived among the Lakota in the spring of Although 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 troops to restore order.

After Sitting Bull was killed on the Standing Rock reservation inhis followers fled to seek refuge with his half-brother, Chief Big Foot. 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. On December 28, the 7 th Cavalry intercepted them.

Since the elder One Horn was killed by a buffalo bull in July at Bear Butte, could Spotted Elk have been his orphaned 'son' subsequently raised by the younger Lone Horn?

Chief spotted elk biography books

On bands, one of my consultants named Spotted Elk's band as the Hehepiyameaning something like At the Foot of the Hills. This may be a reference to Big Foot's camp location on the Cheyenne River in the s. Josephine Waggoner's brief profile names Big Foot's band as the Inyan ha oin Musselshell Earringsbut this seems unlikely - at least in any sense of permanent residence.

This photo by L A. Huffman is the one being discussed. If Big Foot was that old, then surely the Huffman photos that are often claimed to be him, must be of another man? Photo by Alexander Gardner, This is actually Big Foot the Oglala rather than the Miniconjou. I was thinking and wondering about all the different published Big Foot photographs for a long time.

The Huffman photo is labeled Spotted Elk. He looks very young, also maybe too young. To me the most reliable picture of the Big Foot who was killed at Wounded Knee is in the group photo of the Cheyenne River delegation at Washington in by Thomas Smillie. The second Big Foot photograph was made by Alexander Gardner in Although it has been published hundreds of times as the chief killed at Wounded Knee, I really doubt this.

Gardner pictured delegates from several Sioux tribes Oglalas, Brules, Yanktonaisbut no Miniconjous. Forsyth arrived at Wounded Knee Creek and ordered his men to position four Hotchkiss cannons around the area in which the Lakota had been forced to camp. On the morning of December 29,Forsyth's soldiers entered the camp and demanded that the Lakota give up their weapons.

In the ensuing confrontation, a firearm was discharged. It was later believed to have been by a deaf man, Black Coyote, who presumably did not hear the command to put down his rifle. The US forces started shooting indiscriminately at the Lakota. They killed more than people, mostly non-combatants women and children and Spotted Elk was among those killed.

Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. Native American leader - Name [ edit ]. Early life [ edit ]. Clow has navigated the hazards of Lakota historiography to produce a multifaceted biography of Spotted Tail. As a prominent leader of the Sicangu Lakotas during a time of conflict and change, Spotted Tail — left his mark on the Northern Great Plains.

He was not a hereditary chief but developed his standing over time, first proving himself a capable warrior and later a persuasive negotiator. As white settlers encroached on Indian lands in ever-greater numbers, Spotted Tail decided to forgo engaging in prolonged conflicts with the United States, including those led by Red Cloud and Crazy Horse.

Instead, he determined to negotiate with the United States to secure a homeland, education, employment, and other necessities essential to the future of his people.