“Chief of All the Sioux”: An Assessment of Sitting Bull and Lakota Unity, 1868–1876

Abstract

The Indian village that inflicted defeat on General Custer at the Little Bighorn was one of the largest forces ever assembled on the plains. In a society characterized by scattered and roaming bands, the ability to hold together such a remarkable alliance ran against the fundamental tenets of Indian civilization. Since the United States’ initial attempt at making sense of this military catastrophe in its immediate aftermath, history has misunderstood Sitting Bull as the all powerful architect of Custer's last stand. In fact, as the chief of just a single band of “wild” Hunkpapa, Sitting Bull had slowly cultivated a reputation for having strong medicine over the course of eight years, but lacked any formalized position with which to prevent band after band capitulating to a life of dependence. In 1876 with the power of his medicine notorious throughout the plains, the Lakota turned to Sitting Bull in their hour of need, making him a leader of unprecedented civil leadership. However, ultimately Sitting Bull faced the paradox that he was fighting for an existence that was inherently incapable of supporting a supreme chief.