Sitting bull biography kids

This page is about the Hunkpapa Lakota leader. For the film, see Sitting Bull (film).

Sitting Bull (c.  – December 15, ) was a HunkpapaLakota leader who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies. Sitting Bull was killed by Indian agency police on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation during an attempt to arrest him at a time when authorities feared that he would join the Ghost Dance movement.

Before the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull had a vision in which he saw many soldiers, "as thick as grasshoppers", falling upside down into the Lakota camp, which his people took as a foreshadowing of a major victory in which many soldiers would be killed. About three weeks later, the confederated Lakota tribes with the Northern Cheyenne defeated the 7th Cavalry under Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer on June 25, , annihilating Custer's battalion and seeming to fulfill Sitting Bull's prophetic vision. Sitting Bull's leadership inspired his people to a major victory. In response, the U.S. government sent thousands more soldiers to the area, forcing many of the Lakota to surrender over the next year. Sitting Bull refused to surrender, and in May , he led his band north to Wood Mountain, North-West Territories (

Sitting Bull or Tatanka-Iyotanka, arguably the most well-known American Indian in history, served as the Sioux people&#;s paramount military, spiritual, and political figure in the s. The Black Hills area of South Dakota saw a significant upsurge in combat with American soldiers when gold was found there in Sitting Bull foresaw that his people would soon win a significant military victory in At the Little Bighorn Battle, that prophecy was realized. In that illustrious conflict, American forces under General George Armstrong Custer were routed by a coalition of tribes commanded by legendary warrior Crazy Horse.

For more information on Indian Chief Sitting Bull, read the fact file below or download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Facts & Information

Early Life

• The phrase sitting bull refers to the first Chief Supreme Leader of the Lakota Nation, originally named  “Jumping Badger” upon his birth in In South Dakota, Sitting Bull was born as a member of the Lakota Sioux nation. His folks referred to the place where he was born as Many-Caches. His father was the ferocious warrior known as Jumping Bull.
• His father called him &#;Slow&#; because he was always extremely cautious and took his time to act.
• In the Sioux nation, Slow had a normal childhood. He gained knowledge of horseback riding, bow hunting, and buffalo hunting. He envisioned himself as a great fighter in the future. Slow killed his first buffalo when he was ten years old.
• Slow joined his first fighting

Sitting Bull Facts

The man who was known as Sitting Bull was originally known as Tatanka Yotanka, which describes a bull sitting on its haunches. Even as a young man, Sitting Bull was recognized for his courage! He was seen as being as immovable as a bull. Again and again, Sitting Bull lived up to that image.

Sitting Bull was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader who played a significant role in the resistance against the United States government’s encroachment on Native American land. He led his people in battles against General Custer and was a prominent figure in the Ghost Dance movement. Sitting Bull’s legacy as a warrior and advocate for Native American rights continues to inspire and inform contemporary Indigenous activism.

Sitting Bull Facts for Kids

• Sitting Bull was a leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux Tribe.
• He was born around near the Grand River in South Dakota.
• His Sioux name, Tatanka Iyotake, means “Buffalo Bull Who Sits Down”.
• He became a chief at the age of
• Sitting Bull helped defeat Custer’s army at Little Bighorn.
• He traveled with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show for a while.
• Sitting Bull believed in peaceful negotiations with U.S. officials.
• He had a vision predicting the victory at Little Bighorn.
• Sitting Bull was killed in during an arrest attempt.
• He’s remembered as a symbol of Native American resistance.

Battle of Little Bighorn

Sitting Bull, spiritual leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux, had a pivotal role in the Battle of Little Bighorn in Before the battle, he had a prophetic vision of a Sioux victory against the U.S. Army. This vision galvanized his people, preparing them for the imminent conflict with General Custer’s Seventh Cavalry. The Sioux were victorious, marking a major win in the American Indian Wars and strengthening Sitting Bull’s legacy as a symbol of Native American resistance.

Sioux Tribe (Lakota, Dakota, Nakota)

As a prominent leader of the Sioux Nation, specifically, the Hunkpapa Lakota tribe, was born around nea

Close your eyes and imagine you are in the middle of a battle in the American wilderness. All around you, American soldiers dressed in stiff blue jackets load their guns and fire at the enemy. Running at them are Native American warriors dressed in loin cloths and leather. They are yelling and charging the soldiers with weapons raised. They clash in battle and fight ferociously. Around you echo the sounds of metal clashing on metal, gunfire, and people crying out. Then as you turn around, your eye catches a peaceful sight.  There in the middle of the fight scene sits a Native man with his legs crossed.  He peacefully packs a pipe full of tobacco and lights in on fire.  He sits silently and smokes while men fight all around him.  This man is one of the famous American Indians, Sitting Bull. 

Sitting Bull was born around He was one of the Hunkpapa people, a Lakota Sioux tribe that lived in the Great Plains area in what is now known as North and South Dakota. When he was born his family called him “Jumping Badger”.  

Later, his parents changed his name.  He was quiet and deliberate and they didn’t think “Jumping Badger” fit him.  Deliberate means careful and cautious.  His parents gave him the nickname “Slow” instead and he was called this as a child. 

Slow’s father was the chief, which meant someday he would be the chief of his people. When he turned 10, “Slow” killed his first buffalo. Hunting buffalo was very dangerous, but the tribe depended on buffalo for their meat for survival. They ate their meat and used their skins for clothes and shelter. Slow’s family was proud of his first buffalo kill and celebrated to honor him. When he was 14, “Slow” and others from his tribe snuck into an enemy tribe’s village and stole food and other items. This is called a “raid” and was common for tribes in the Great Plains to fight and steal things from each other for survival. Because of “Slow’s” bravery during the raid, his father gave up his