Below are excerpts1 from the diary of Sitting
Bull, a chief from the Sioux Indian Tribe.
March 2, 1874
For many years, my people lived in peace on our
land, going where the buffalo go, so we can
hunt them. Nature has always provided an
abundance of buffalo for my people. But several
years ago, we were forced off of our land, and
we were forced to move where we now live in
South Dakota. There aren’t as many buffalo
Chief Sitting Bull
here, but we make the best of what we can get.
I am afraid, though, that we will soon be forced off of our land yet
again, even though the government promised we could stay here.
Today, some white men found gold on our land. Now, I am afraid that
just as the Cherokee were forced off their land, so shall we be forced
off of our land again.
April 9, 1874
American bison (buffalo)
1
excerpts: pieces of parts from a book or a diary
The white man’s
government has offered to
buy our land. We rejected
their offer. We do not want
to move again. This is our
land, and the government
promised that we could
stay here forever. We will
forever refuse to sell this land.
November 16, 1875
The white man’s government is
preparing to force us off our land.
Never trust an agreement from the
white man.
December 30, 1875
Many Sioux have gathered around
me and my friend Crazy Horse. We
are getting ready to fight against the
white invaders that are trying to
steal our home.
The Black Hills
(the land where Sitting Bull and the
other Sioux Indians lived)
June 25, 1876
The Battle of Little Bighorn
(the battle where the Sioux killed 211 men, including Colonel Custer)
The U.S. army
came to force us
off our land
today. We
fought against
them, and killed
all 211 of them,
including their
leader, Colonel
George Custer.
He was a hero
during the Civil War, but because of the evil choices he made after the
Civil War, he now lies dead. We will do the same to anyone else that
tries to remove us from the land that rightfully belongs to us.
July 31, 1876
The white men are shocked that we destroyed the army that came
after us last month at the Battle of Little Bighorn. I don’t understand
why. What did they expect? They came to take our land after they
agreed that we could stay here forever. Did they think we would allow
them to steal our home?
September 30, 1877
The white man’s government is sending a bigger army after us. My
people must flee, though this makes me very sad. We will leave this
country, and go to Canada, where hopefully the government will treat
us like people, and not like mindless savages.
January 3, 1881
The army has caught up with us before we made into Canada. We are
starving. There is no buffalo for us to eat. We have to give up, and go
wherever the white man’s government wants us to go. My heart is
broken. But before I go, I will tell the soldiers, “We did not give our
country to you; you stole it.”