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History

Sitting Bull

What is sitting bull?

· James MacDonald

Key facts

Lakota name Tatanka Iyotake[7]
Tribe Hunkpapa Lakota[4]
Birth c. 1831[1]
Place of birth near Grand River, present-day South Dakota[2]
Death date December 15, 1890[3]

Sitting Bull was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader and holy man who became a major figure in Native American resistance to U.S. expansion on the Great Plains. He is best known for his role in the Battle of the Little Bighorn and for his death on December 15, 1890.

Context

Sitting Bull, born around 1831 near the Grand River in present-day South Dakota, was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader and holy man [7]. He became a central figure in Native American resistance to U.S. expansion on the Great Plains [4]. As a chief, he united the Sioux peoples against settlers on the northern Great Plains [3]. He served as a political and spiritual leader of the Sioux warriors at the Battle of the Little Bighorn [6]. He was killed on December 15, 1890, during an attempt to arrest him on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation [2]. His death was linked to concern about the Ghost Dance movement [5].

Documented claims

  • Sitting Bull was a chief under whom the Sioux peoples united against settlers on the northern Great Plains. [3]
  • He was a political and spiritual leader of the Sioux warriors at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. [6]
  • He was killed during an attempt to arrest him on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. [2]
  • His death was linked to concern about the Ghost Dance movement. [5]

Questions and answers

What was Sitting Bull most famous for?

He is best known for his role in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where he was a political and spiritual leader of the Sioux warriors [6].

When did Sitting Bull die?

He died on December 15, 1890, during an attempt to arrest him on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation [3].

What was Sitting Bull's Lakota name?

His Lakota name was Tatanka Iyotake [7].

Sources

  1. Sitting Bull | Biography, Leader, Death, & Facts - Britannica — britannica.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Sitting Bull — kids.britannica.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Who Was Sitting Bull? — sittingbull.edu (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. 10 Things You May Not Know About Sitting Bull | HISTORY — history.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  5. 9 Key Facts About Chief Sitting Bull — historyhit.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  6. Sitting Bull Facts — softschools.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  7. Biography: Sitting Bull | American Experience | Official Site — pbs.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in History