The Plains Natives

UNIT 1 PART 2
The Plains Natives

Nomads - followed their food source, the buffalo.

12 to 15 million
Horses made them better hunters and warriors.
ThePlains Wars - 1860 - 1890 - An ongoing fight to
protect the land and stop the destruction of the
natives way of life.
US Policy Towards Natives
The Department of the Interior is in charge - is also deeply corrupt.
The initial policy is Concentration.
Deal with each tribe individually and define their territory.
The alleged reason is to stop intertribal war, but it is actually to
divide and conquer.
By the 1860s, policy is to confine all natives to Reservations in Black
Hills, SD or OK.
Indians received, supplies in return for removal to reservations and
a promise to be left alone.
Natives will wage war from 1860-1890.
Excellent warriors who confound the army.
Native Wars
The Nez Perce
The Nez Perce
Led by Chief Joseph
Reservation reduced by 90% after gold discovered
Flee towards Canadian border
Surrender after 3 months & 1700 miles..only 30 miles from the
Canadian border
Told theyll be returned to ID, instead are sent to OK and 40% die of
disease
The Battle of Little Bighorn

The Battle of Little Bighorn

Expeditionary Force led by George Custer attack what they believe is a large
gathering of Sioux natives.
Instead attack a war party of 2500. Custer and all of his men are killed.
1st major victory for Indians after a long series of defeats
Sand Creek Massacre
http://
www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/battle-of-the-little-bighorn/videos/the-batt
le-at-little-bighorn
Helen Hunt Jackson

Wrote A Century of Dishonor in 1881

Laid out the atrocities committed against
the natives. The book is a best seller.
Creates sympathy and leads whites to
civilize the Indians through forced
assimilation.
The Dawes Severalty Act

The Assimilation policy adopted by the US government.

Tribal lands split into allotments - each family 160 acres.
Land cannot be disposed of for 25 years.
After 25 years, the natives would get citizenship and ownership of
land.
Ultimately used mostly to take land away from the natives.
Cont.

Attempt to have Indians become white and become part of

white mans culture
Boarding schools, like Carlisle School, PA
Kill the Indian & Save the Man!
The US Government took much of the land promised to natives
and sold it to white settlers.
By 1887, native land holdings had been reduced from 138 million
acres to only 48 million.
The End of The Plains Way of Life

The Ghost Dance Movement

Native ceremonial gatherings to pray for relief from the whites.
The army views these as attempts to start new native uprisings and respond
with brutality.
Results in the Wounded Knee Massacre
Wounded Knee
Sioux fleeing reservation after Sitting Bull shot
Rounded up by Army; surrendered & herded into Wounded Knee Army Camp
Ghost Dance
Army ordered to disarm Indians
190 unarmed Indians massacred in the process
http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/wounded-knee/videos
Factors Contributing To the End

RAILROADS!!
Destroy Buffalo
Bring out settlers, miners, etc.
Discovery of gold/silver on Indian lands
Disease & Firewater
Indian Wars