WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Great Men Back Then: Sitting Bull

Episode Date: February 8, 2024

Sitting Bull was the leader of the Lakota tribe. Listen to learn why he was beloved by many Americans. 

When we think of American history, we might think of George Washington crossing the Delaware. We may also think of Ulysses S. Grant leading the Union Army during the Civil War. Maybe we even think of the leadership of our own citizens, banding together during difficult times, such as the attack on the Twin Towers when 9-11 occurred. But what is often neglected is the leadership of the American Indians. Today, we will be talking about Sinneville, a man who should be remembered for his integrity, his courage, and his American values. You are listening to Great Men Back then on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.

I'm Lawrence Scott, and today we will be talking about the Lakota tribe leader, Sitting Bull. A man who oftentimes gets neglected in the study of history, but his leadership exemplified American values. Sitting Bull is most well known for his leadership in the Battle of Little Bighorn, fought on June 25, 1876. When gold was discovered on American Indian lands, the tribes were ordered to move to reservations. However, whenever a number of tribes missed the federal deadline to move, Colonel George Armstrong Custard brought his army to try and forcefully remove them. It was under the command of Sitting Bull that the Indian tribes were able to take on Custer's army and defeat them. It is moments like this that I think Sitting Bull's actions are very much American. He was protecting what he knew and loved.

His home, the place where his family resided, the place where his friends lived, it was unjust to forcefully remove the tribes just because there was gold on the land. and although it was done with great difficulty, Sitting Bull protected his home. In addition to being a great general, Sitting Bull was also very popular with the American people. After traveling and touring with the Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, he became pretty much an icon throughout America. When he returned, everybody wanted to meet him and get his autograph. And it is told that Sitting Bull would charge people money in order for him to be. to give them an autograph unless you were a pretty woman. He did not charge the pretty women for an

autograph. There are some other endearing facts about sitting bowls, such as the fact that he loved ice cream. He thought it was the best thing ever and he couldn't get enough of it. And also he loved monkeys and he really wanted to get a pet monkey. And every time he went to the zoo, he really wanted to bring a monkey home. Now, unfortunately, this never happened for obvious reasons. But I think that's a very wholesome, enduring fact about Sitting Bull. Another thing that I find very interesting about this man is that he was great friends with Father De Smet, who was a Jesuit missionary. And Sitting Bull learned about Catholicism and wanted to become a Christian, but he had a great number of wives. I believe it was something like nine wives. And so he would have converted to Christianity, but he didn't

know what to do with all of his wives. But he believed it and he wanted to learn more and he embraced that. But it was just because he had too many wives, he couldn't actually convert and become a Catholic. In 1890, there was something called the Ghost Dance Movement, which was when certain Indian tribes would perform this dance ritual and they believed that it would bring back all of the dead American Indians, bring them back to Earth, and that it would basically stop westward expansion. So all the Indians would get their land back and all of the settlers would basically go away. And for the most part, this dance was peaceful, but within the Lakota tribe, they did start bringing violence into the ghost dance. And it was rumored that Sitting Bull was part of this violence within the ghost

dance in the Lakota tribe. Now, this is entirely untrue. He was not in. He was not involved in the ghost dance in any way, but this was the rumor. And because of this rumor, Indian service agent James McLaughlin ordered for his arrest, and it was the morning of December 15th of 1890 that Sitting Bull was tragically killed. Americans need to study and remember the unjust death of Sitting Bull. And they should also learn of his great accomplishments and leadership. He was a leader who protected his home, and I believe there's nothing more American than that. For this reason, I argue that Sitting Bull was a great man. Thank you for listening to Great Men Back Then.

I'm Lawrence Scott on Radio Free Hillsdale, 101.7 FM.