The picture above is taken at Wounded Knee Creek after the massacre and the blizzard.
Wounded Knee Massacre
A textbook passage
In 1887 the United States government changed policies that affect the Native Americans and the white settlers. The Dawes Severalty Act was passed that was meant to divide up land and ended up lessening the land owned by the Native Americans. This forced the two ethnic groups to live in closer proximity upsetting many people. Then the government moved the Native tribes onto reservations in hopes to civilize them, suppressing their tribal systems.
During this time Native Americans began a movement called the “Ghost Dance”, which they believed was the last hope for a race and that it would reject the ways of the white man. This movement spread to the Sioux Indians causing major uproar with the white settlers. Famous Sioux chief Sitting Bull was arrested and then killed because participation in the rebellion against the government and the Indian spiritual movement. At this time the Native Americans were starving and living below poverty due to lack in government support, forcing the tribes to become agitated. The Indians were rebellious and acted out against the white settlers and U.S. troops. The government thought that the tribes were a threat to each other and the white settlers.
In the year 1890, many tribes began to move towards each other and gather. Some Native Americans stayed in an area known as the Badlands to hide and other tribes assembled closer to Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge reservation. Chief Big Foot and his band moved down to the creek because of the death of Sitting Bull and pressure from troops. On December 28, 1890 government soldiers from the 7th cavalry approached Chief Big Foot’s band of Sioux Indians and brought them back towards the Pine Ridge reservation. The morning of the 29th the soldiers confronted the Sioux Indians asking for their weapons. During the confrontation between the soldiers and the Indians shots were fired, who they came from is unknown. Many Indians ran to take refuge and many fought to their death. Lots of women and children fled to find safety but did not make it without any protection. The night after the warfare a blizzard came through Wounded Knee Creek. Anyone who wasn't killed in battle froze to death. Days following the battle General Miles and his soldiers moved throughout and across reservations unarming Native Americans to eliminate any more casualties or uprisings.
During this time Native Americans began a movement called the “Ghost Dance”, which they believed was the last hope for a race and that it would reject the ways of the white man. This movement spread to the Sioux Indians causing major uproar with the white settlers. Famous Sioux chief Sitting Bull was arrested and then killed because participation in the rebellion against the government and the Indian spiritual movement. At this time the Native Americans were starving and living below poverty due to lack in government support, forcing the tribes to become agitated. The Indians were rebellious and acted out against the white settlers and U.S. troops. The government thought that the tribes were a threat to each other and the white settlers.
In the year 1890, many tribes began to move towards each other and gather. Some Native Americans stayed in an area known as the Badlands to hide and other tribes assembled closer to Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge reservation. Chief Big Foot and his band moved down to the creek because of the death of Sitting Bull and pressure from troops. On December 28, 1890 government soldiers from the 7th cavalry approached Chief Big Foot’s band of Sioux Indians and brought them back towards the Pine Ridge reservation. The morning of the 29th the soldiers confronted the Sioux Indians asking for their weapons. During the confrontation between the soldiers and the Indians shots were fired, who they came from is unknown. Many Indians ran to take refuge and many fought to their death. Lots of women and children fled to find safety but did not make it without any protection. The night after the warfare a blizzard came through Wounded Knee Creek. Anyone who wasn't killed in battle froze to death. Days following the battle General Miles and his soldiers moved throughout and across reservations unarming Native Americans to eliminate any more casualties or uprisings.
Textbook passage reflection
Living in a world of unknown
So close to the truth
Colorado is our home
Hidden by the act of youth
False. Columbus did not roam
For them I feel such ruth
See only what eyes see
There are two sides to every story
Soldiers what do they plea?
Were they blinded in glory?
Do I only think about me?
America from start to finish
No more gaps in education
Primary sources help refinish
Hear it from across the nation
Government can’t diminish
Biases make civilization
So close to the truth
Colorado is our home
Hidden by the act of youth
False. Columbus did not roam
For them I feel such ruth
See only what eyes see
There are two sides to every story
Soldiers what do they plea?
Were they blinded in glory?
Do I only think about me?
America from start to finish
No more gaps in education
Primary sources help refinish
Hear it from across the nation
Government can’t diminish
Biases make civilization
Burry My Heart at wounded Knee - Film analysis
In 1890, a massacre at Wounded Knee Creek changed American history forever. This tragedy and many others have affected who and what America is today. Indians of the Sioux Nation were murdered by the United States militia in South Dakota. The government of the new world was trying to civilize the Indian tribes by having them give up their land, move to reservations, and adopt the white man ways. A lot of time has passed and the Native Americans still live today; many have told their story of what they went through. Movies and firsthand accounts have allowed for people to day to learn and understand the big turning point in American and Indian history. Although Hollywood gives the 21st century a story of what happened to the Sioux Indians, the movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, has historical inaccuracies that misinform and delude the truth of what happened in the massacre.
During this major revolution in history when Native Americans were forced to move to make room for the new settlers, many tragic and horrific things happened. A lot of blood was shed and people died as they did inhumane things to each other. This time was very, very emotional. However, Hollywood used emotion more for the benefit of themselves than for the use of informing people on history. Reading people’s accounts and stories of what they saw and felt during the massacre was emotional. Chief Red Cloud writes exactly what he felt and saw, “ We were faint with hunger and maddened by despair. We held our dying children and felt their little bodies tremble as their soul went out and left only a dead weight in our hands.” The movie used to emotion to evoke feelings in the viewers. The makers of the movie did not know exactly how each Indian felt at that time and therefore their movie is and inaccurate representation of the emotion of the Indians. This dubious emotion deludes the truth of the events and changes the identity of the people. For example, in the movie when an Indian child had died they showed many people crying and feeling sad; and unless they had asked those exact people themselves, they are only guessing the feelings that were felt. If this movie were to use emotion to tell history there would be and interview or quotations from people who actually experienced the awful events.
A big piece of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, was the relationship between General Nelson A. Miles and the Indians. Miles wrote an official statement to the United States government reporting on the “Sioux Outbreak”. He writes about the causes of the dissatisfaction of the Indians and why there were so many problems with them. His statement is respectful and professional, in fact he advocates for the Indian because he sees firsthand what is happening to them. The General states: “They claimed that the government had not fulfilled its treaties and had failed to make large enough appropriations for their support; that they had suffered for want of food, and the evidence of this is beyond question and sufficient to satisfy any unprejudiced intelligent mind.” He is making an official report full of facts even though he is a government general and is stating falsities in the government’ actions. Yet, in the movie General Miles is an awful person, who shows no sympathy and is brutal towards the Indians. The misrepresentation of this major character is not only disrespectful but it also misinforms the viewers. The movie is a great way to understand and learn American history however; it cannot have inaccuracies that delude the truth.
Throughout the movie the events before, during, and after the massacre followed a fairly accurate timeline, however a major mistake was when the death of Sitting Bull occurred. The producers of the film made it so that Sitting Bull died he day of the battle at Wounded Knee Creek. Based on primary sources that have come from eyewitness on both sides of the battlefield, Sitting Bull died multiple days before the battle. Black Elk writes in the beginning his account of the massacre: “It was about this time that bad news came to is from the north. We heard that some policemen from Standing Rock had gone to arrest Sitting Bull on Grand River, and that he would not let them take him; so there was a fight, and they killed him.” He then talks about Sitting Bull’s band coming down from the Badlands and joining other bands. The communication was slow in 1890 and it took many days for news to travel. Black Elk proceeds to tell the rest of what he witnessed at Wounded Knee Creek, which is told over a few days. Therefore, based on Black Elk’s firsthand account of the days leading up to the battle and the battle itself, Sitting Bull must have been killed days before the battle.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee tells the history of the massacre with the United States government and the Sioux Nation. The movie gives a good idea as to what happened in South Dakota in 1890 and allows Americans today to understand what has happened and how America has gotten to where it is today. Nonetheless, Hollywood produced a movie that blurs the truth and has historical inaccuracies of what really happened at Wounded Knee Creek. In order to retain a full understanding of the massacre one must study multiple sources of firsthand accounts from many sides of the story, and rely solely on one 21st century movie production.
During this major revolution in history when Native Americans were forced to move to make room for the new settlers, many tragic and horrific things happened. A lot of blood was shed and people died as they did inhumane things to each other. This time was very, very emotional. However, Hollywood used emotion more for the benefit of themselves than for the use of informing people on history. Reading people’s accounts and stories of what they saw and felt during the massacre was emotional. Chief Red Cloud writes exactly what he felt and saw, “ We were faint with hunger and maddened by despair. We held our dying children and felt their little bodies tremble as their soul went out and left only a dead weight in our hands.” The movie used to emotion to evoke feelings in the viewers. The makers of the movie did not know exactly how each Indian felt at that time and therefore their movie is and inaccurate representation of the emotion of the Indians. This dubious emotion deludes the truth of the events and changes the identity of the people. For example, in the movie when an Indian child had died they showed many people crying and feeling sad; and unless they had asked those exact people themselves, they are only guessing the feelings that were felt. If this movie were to use emotion to tell history there would be and interview or quotations from people who actually experienced the awful events.
A big piece of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, was the relationship between General Nelson A. Miles and the Indians. Miles wrote an official statement to the United States government reporting on the “Sioux Outbreak”. He writes about the causes of the dissatisfaction of the Indians and why there were so many problems with them. His statement is respectful and professional, in fact he advocates for the Indian because he sees firsthand what is happening to them. The General states: “They claimed that the government had not fulfilled its treaties and had failed to make large enough appropriations for their support; that they had suffered for want of food, and the evidence of this is beyond question and sufficient to satisfy any unprejudiced intelligent mind.” He is making an official report full of facts even though he is a government general and is stating falsities in the government’ actions. Yet, in the movie General Miles is an awful person, who shows no sympathy and is brutal towards the Indians. The misrepresentation of this major character is not only disrespectful but it also misinforms the viewers. The movie is a great way to understand and learn American history however; it cannot have inaccuracies that delude the truth.
Throughout the movie the events before, during, and after the massacre followed a fairly accurate timeline, however a major mistake was when the death of Sitting Bull occurred. The producers of the film made it so that Sitting Bull died he day of the battle at Wounded Knee Creek. Based on primary sources that have come from eyewitness on both sides of the battlefield, Sitting Bull died multiple days before the battle. Black Elk writes in the beginning his account of the massacre: “It was about this time that bad news came to is from the north. We heard that some policemen from Standing Rock had gone to arrest Sitting Bull on Grand River, and that he would not let them take him; so there was a fight, and they killed him.” He then talks about Sitting Bull’s band coming down from the Badlands and joining other bands. The communication was slow in 1890 and it took many days for news to travel. Black Elk proceeds to tell the rest of what he witnessed at Wounded Knee Creek, which is told over a few days. Therefore, based on Black Elk’s firsthand account of the days leading up to the battle and the battle itself, Sitting Bull must have been killed days before the battle.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee tells the history of the massacre with the United States government and the Sioux Nation. The movie gives a good idea as to what happened in South Dakota in 1890 and allows Americans today to understand what has happened and how America has gotten to where it is today. Nonetheless, Hollywood produced a movie that blurs the truth and has historical inaccuracies of what really happened at Wounded Knee Creek. In order to retain a full understanding of the massacre one must study multiple sources of firsthand accounts from many sides of the story, and rely solely on one 21st century movie production.
Document Analysis- John gregory Bourke Diaries
John Gregory Bourke
John Gregory was an engineer officer who fought with the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry. He fought in the Civil War and was then sent on assignment to Arizona where he began working closely with General George Crook. Throughout John Gregory's life he documented almost everything, including his opinions, in his diaries. Through these writings people have been able to understand not only the event that took place during that time but the opinions of the people. The journal entry displayed is dated March 20, 1875 and the newspaper clipping from the Arizona Sentinel that is dated March 11, 1875. This journal entry is from a series of diaries by John Gregory Bourke. The central document of a newspaper clipping pasted into John Gregory’s journal in March of 1875, exemplifies the nature in which the white settlers thought of the Native Americans and how they treated the people they feared most.
“the hostile Indians gathered upon reservations, where the utmost skill is required to keep them from breaking out and leaving for the mountains and plains, again to renew their work of robbery devastation….”
John Gregory attached the newspaper clipping that is describing the Native Americans in a negative light because they were forced onto sections of land with no value, as criminals. The Native Americans that were quoted by the newspaper as "hostile" were hostile due to the fact that they were forced from their homes on to the reservations. In Arizona at Fort Whipple the Apache Indians wanted to flee to the mountains and plains where they called their home. The white people took the homes from the Native Americans and they expect them to be civil. General Crook was sent to Arizona to keep the peace with the Natives and he was the skill that the government needed. One account said, "Crook told them what he told all Indians. More whites were coming, and the Indians could no longer live on wild game" (Myers). General Crook helped and urged the Natives to go back to the reservations, not only for the benefit of the white settlers but also to assist the Natives. The tone of the newspaper clipping, which John Gregory attached in his diary, shows that the white settlers did not understand the culture of the Native Americans; therefore they assumed that the Natives were robbers and criminals because the Natives took their weapons to defend themselves.
“At last the gallant Crook was sent here, and by his consummate skill he conquered a peace….gave to a long suffering people tranquility and security from the murderous savage.”
In Prescott, Arizona near Fort Whipple problems were arising between the white settlers and the Native Americans in the area. Many commanders were having difficulty communicating and working with the Natives to get them onto reservations. The War Department of the U.S. government was having trouble finding a person who could “control” the Native Americans. However, when General George Crook was sent to Arizona in the early 1970's, his job was to "end fighting between the Apaches and the whites by placing the Apache on reservations" (Katz). Crook who was known for his bravery and empathy was able to gain control and the trust of the Native Americans, the original inhabitants of America who were simply defending themselves from the horrors of the white man. Although the Natives were forced on to the hopeless reservations, Crook was able to have roads and schools built so that some humanity could be brought back to the Natives. Crook thought that "as soon as the two races stopped fighting and came to trust each other, the Indians would be able to go anywhere to live and work" (Katz). The newspapers from the area and that time wrote about the conflict between the settlers and the Natives.
Based on the newspaper clipping that John Gregory attached to his journal he settlers in the area were annoyed by the disruption of the rebelling Natives, they did not like these people on their new claimed land. The white man is scared of the Native Americans, for they have inhabited America long before whites knew that there was a continent this far west. They are scared because of what they have heard and have what has happened to other settlers who want the same land as the Natives. They were also scared to lose their almighty white power. So the white man called these Native Americans murderous savages, because they had seen death and they could not imagine being inferior to any other race. John Gregory wrote about the current events that happened around him, he added clippings from the newspaper to show how people felt about the Native Americans. He wanted to document what was happening and what people thought about it. During this time in Arizona the conflicts between the races was a major occurrence and John Gregory was able to capture it, so readers could have perspective on this time in history.
“The Indians became worse, more daring and more blood-thirsty.”
The Arizona Sentinel wrote that the Native Americans were becoming worse people that they wanted to fight, that they wanted blood shed. The newspaper wrote in a way that made it appear as though they feared the natives because of what they had learned about the white settlers. John Gregory took this clipping and placed it in his diaries to document feelings that the white people had for the Natives and what they could do to them. In many cases during that time Natives were described as dangerous and barbaric, and were classified as threats to not just the white settlers themselves but also to the white culture. The newspaper shares not only the fear but also the hate that the white men had because the Natives were fighting back for what was rightfully theirs.
Works Cited
"August V. Kautz." - FortWiki Historic U.S. and Canadian Forts. Fort Wiki, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. <http://www.fortwiki.com/August_V._Kautz>.
Katz, Bob. "General George Crook." DesertUSA. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. <http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/may/papr/crook.html>.
Myers, J. Jay. "George Crook: Indian Fighter." History Net Where History Comes Alive World US History Online George Crook Indian Fighter Comments. N.p., 12 June 2006. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. <http://www.historynet.com/george-crook-indian-fighter.htm>.
Patterson, Michael R. "John Gregory Bourke, Colonel, United States Army." John Gregory Bourke, Colonel, United States Army. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. <http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jgbourke.htm>.
"Untitled Document." Untitled Document. N.p., 2004. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. <https://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/finding_aids/inventory/Bourke.htm>.
Wallace, Andrew. "GENERAL AUGUST V. KAUTZ IN ARIZONA, 1874-1878." Arizoniana 4.4 (1963): 54-65. Prescott Corral. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. <http://www.prescottcorral.org/TT6/ColurtmarshalOfKautz.pdf>.