Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-10-07
Before this, from ten to fourteen. n,y


Standshoty. After killing an enemy
they called nee Ia Tan Ia You Tan
IA, or Sitting Bull. AN Indian may
he an Inherited chief, but be has to
make himself chief by his bravery.
(Although several efforts were made,
and much tact used. Sitting Bull
would rot speak of his life beyond the
age Of fourteen.) The pale faces
had things that We needed in order to
hunt. We needed ammunition. Oar
interests were in place. l never sold
that much land. Here Sitting Bull
picked up with his thumb and foretin-
ger little of the pulverized dirt in the
tent, and holding it up let it fall and
blow away / never made or sold y
treaty with the United States. l came
in to claim nv rights and the rights of
my people. / was driven in force from
my land and Eow come back to claim
it for my people. never made war on
the United States Government. Inerer
stood in the white mans country. ]
never committed any depredations
in the white mans country. never
made the white mans heart bleed.
The white man came on to my land and
followed me. The white man made
fight for my hunting grounds. The
white man made me kill him, or he
would kill my friends, my women and
nv children"
Reporter-''T The white man admires
your conduct in battle. You showed
yourself to be great chief in the Gus
ter fight"
Sitting Bull-"There was Great
Spirit who gnided and controlled that
battle. could do nothing. l was sua-
taiUed by the great mysterious One"
Here Sitting Ball pointed upward with
his foretinger.)
Reporter You conducted the bat
tie we'll; so well that many thought
that you were not an Indian, but that
you were whi,e man and knew the
white mans ways"
Sitting Bull (pointing TO his wrist)-
81 was not white man. for the Great
Spirit did not make ME white skin.
l did not fight the white mans back.
came out and met him on the grass.
When l say Running Antelope is fool
| mean he made treaties and allowed
the white man to come in and occupy
our land. Ever since that time there
has been trouble. do not want aid or
assistance from the whites or anyone
else. l want them to stay from my
country, and allow me to hunt in my
own land. want no blood spilled on
my land, except the blood of the buffa
10. want to hunt and trade for many
moons. You have asked me to come In.
l wanted the white man to provide for
me for several years, il came in. You
have never offered me- any Inducements
to come in. 1 did ot want to come.
. My friends that came got soap and Ak
handles, but not enough to eat. l
have come in, and want the white man
to allow me to hunt in my own country.
That is the way live. want to keep
my ponies. I can't hunt without
ponies. The buffalo runs fast. The
white man wanted me to give up every
thing"
Reporter" What treatment do you
expect from the Government? If rot
satisfied, what shall you do?"
Sitting Bull expected to stay but
few days at Buford. When I came in
l did not surrender. want the Gov
ernment to let me occupy the Little
Missouri country. There is plenty of
game there. I have damages against
the Government for holding my land
and game. I want the Great Father to
pay me for it."
The reporter here asked the interpre-
ter to get an idea of what Sitting Bull
meant by the Little Missouri country
Sitting Bull" My hunting ground
is from the bad lands to the end of the
Little Missouri. and want it extended
down here, where some of my people
are. so that can trade"
Reporter" What do Chiefs Gall and
Running Antelope say about their
treatment bere?"
Sitting Bull" Antelope is fool. ]
have seen Gall. He can't tell me any.
thing. He is not chief of my peo.
ple."
Reporter" Don't you think the
Indians here are treated well?"
Sitting Built have not had 9
chance to talk with them. They are
waiting for me to speak. They want
to give me feast and hold q council
I am not jealous Of them. I don't
know whether We will hold council OF
not"
Reporter-"Tel us all about the
Custer battle. How did it happen
Did you direct the main forces ?"
Sitting Bull (after long silence)-
81 am not afraid to talk about that
1t all happened, it is past and gone.
do not lie, bat do not want to talk abou,
it. Low Dog Says I cant fight until
some oDe lends me heart. Gall says
my heart is no bigger than that (plac
ing one forefinger at the base of the
nail of another finger.) We have all
fought hard. We did not know Custer
When we saw him we threw up oul
hands and cried. Follow me and DE-
as I do We whipped each others
horses, and it was all over"
Reporter" Ouster's men were all
killed. There is no one to tell US about
the battle but you. We keep record
of our battles and study them. We
write histories of brave men. We will
never fight the Sioux again. Tell us
more about it."
Sitting Bull" There was not al
many Indians as the white man says
Lucy dIo h'l WATIlOIe. 1utI0 WAS uO
more than 1000.
Reporter" Grow King says on the
second day, when you were fighting
Reno's men, that you asked your war.
riors not to kill any more, that you had
already killed enough"
Sitting Bull-"Crow King speaks
the truth; did not want to kill any
more men. I did not like that kind oi
work. 1 only defended my camp.
When we had killed enough, that was
all that was necessary"
The art of not hearing should be
taught in every well-regulated family. 1t
is fully as important to domestic hsppi.
ness as a cultivated ear, for which so
much money and time are expended.