The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-06
INDIANS ERECT AND
DEDICATE a MONUMENT
Memorial for Chief Big Foot and Those Who Died With
Wounded Knees by Chiefs the
Lamentations of the squawsory Of the Death Of Sit
ting Bull and the Battle the Pine Ridge

feeling towards the whites and hope we
will always be friendly
Fire Lightning, an old chief, said: For
many, many years have been friends
with the white people; 4 helped make the
treaty with them; I have never broken
that treaty and l wish to end my days a
friend to them'
= After a prayer in Sioux, the whole lot
Joined in and sang America in the In
dian language, but 1t Is doubtful II MY
Country, tits of Thee meant much to
the Sioux, who are virtually prisoners in
large yard.
After the exercises were finished, the
Indians filed past the monument and those
who could read English. read to the others
this inscription. This Monument is
Erected by Surviving Relatives and other
Ogallala and Cheyenne River Sioux In
dams in Memory of the Chief Big Foot
Massacre, Dec. 20, 1890, Colonel Forsythe
in Command Of U. S. Troops Big Foot
was a great chief of the Sioux Indians.
He often said: I will stand in peace till
my last day comes He did good and
brave deeds for the white man and for the
red man. Many innocent women and
children who knew no wrong, died here"
Part Played BY Sitting Bull.
1t was the last stand of the red race
against the white; the fight eor dying
race against a younger and more vigorous;
d.. people llSHIlllS lOI lIlcll lllIllSo CtllO
their territory, as they supposed, this
battle in which fell those braves to whom
the monument was raised.
Their patriotism had been reused to the
highest pitch by the willy old chief, Ia
Tan Ka IYo-Ton-Ka (Sitting Bulb. who
was to the northern Indians what Zero
homo was to the southwestern tribes. But
Sitting Bull was mare to be feared than
Geronomo because of his long familiarity
with the white men and their ways.
In addition to rousing their patriot
ism, Sitting Bull had annointed each
brave with medicine" making them in
vulnerable to the bullets from the white
mans pistol. And every Indian of that
band thoroly believed this.
To accomplish this Sitting Bull origin
ated the Ghost Of Messiah Dance" which
soon spread thru the Sioux nation like
| fire over the western prairie. This dance
was only a preliminary to being annointed
with the medicine" and was a mixture
Of the war and squaw dance, except that
the dancers circled around a tall pole on
! which was hung q skin containing the
medicine.
Sitting Bulls true object in working the
Indians up to this frenzy was really to
force the government into increasing the
| issue of rations to the Sioux by threat
ening to leave the reservation and go to-
ward the northwest along the Montana
! Canada border, where he had gone with
| his people after maSsacreing General Gus
ter on the Little Big Horn fourteen years
before. Scouts do not believe that Sitting
Bull intended to fight unless absolutely
| forced to do so.
After the Indians had danced during the
fall of 1890, about so per cent of the en-
tire Sioux tribe became firm followers OF
Sitting Bull, had interviewed. the Great
Spirit and had been annointed with
medicine by their high priest or medi-
cine man. '.. a.--s" So. -
Preparations for War. ~.
When Sitting Bull was sure his every
order and wish would be obeyed the
ghost dances ceased and preparations
for war began. Then it was thai the COM
manding officer of the United States
TROOPS at Fort Yates was ordered to arrest
Sitting Bull and confine him in prison at
the agency Of Standing Rock for the time
1 being.
Sitting Bull was camped forty miles
2 from the agency, but a. squad of fifty
cavalrymen started after the old Indian
early on Dec. Is.
The Indian police, commanded by Bull
Head and Shave Head were within strik
ing distance of Sitting Bulls camp sew.
eral days before the cavalry left the fort.
Sitting Bulls cabin was almost sur.
rounded by the fanatical "ghost dancers,
but the Indian police managed to reach