Transcript Conflict with the Native Americans

Conflict with the Native Americans
• Government acquiring of Indian Lands 18601900…
• Treaties
• Land purchases
• Forced relocation (reservation system)
• Wars
• Looking the other way
Conflict with the Native Americans
I. 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 Assimilation
Assimilation = 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 American
I.
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 Mexico
2. Fought to defend their way of life and
cultural genocide!
Key Wars / Battles
I. 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 / Battles
II.
Sand Creek Massacre, 1864
A. Southern Cheyenne, and Arapaho in southern Plains
B. 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 / Battles
IV.
The Battle of Little Big Horn, 1876
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)
A.
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 / Battles
V.
Nez Perce War, 1877
Gen. Oliver Howard orders Chief Joseph and Nez
Perce onto Idaho reservation, violence erupts.
A.
B.
Chief Joseph attempts to flee to Canada (join Sitting
Bull) but is caught by Col. Nelson Miles 40 miles short
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”
C.
Chief Joseph = Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekht (thunder
traveling to loftier heights)
Chief Joseph, Nez Perce
VI.The Battle of Wounded Knee, 1890
A. 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
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
E.
Soldiers demand they give up their weapons, one
resists and fires a shot…the soldiers fire back
F.
- 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