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Oglala
Sioux Indian Tribe History
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American Horse |
Oglala ('to scatter one's own'). The principal
division of the Teton Sioux. Their early history is involved in
complete obscurity; their modern history recounts incessant contests
with other tribes and depredations on the whites. The first recorded
notice of them is that of Lewis and Clark, who in 1806 found them
living above the Brule Sioux on Missouri river, between Cheyenne and
Bad rivers, in the present South Dakota, numbering 150 or 200 men.
In 1825 they inhabited both banks of Bad river from the Missouri to
the Black Hills, and were then friendly with the whites and at peace
with the Cheyenne, but enemies to all other tribes except those of
their own nation. They were then estimated at 1,500 persons, of whom
300 were warriors.
Their general rendezvous was at the mouth of Bad river,
where there was a trading establishment for their accommodation. In
1850 they roamed the plains between the north and south forks of
Platte river and west of the Black Hills. In 1862 they occupied the
country extending north east. from Ft Laramie, at the mouth of Laramie river
on North Platte river, including the Black Hills and the sources of
Bad river and reaching to the fork of the Cheyenne, and ranged as
far west as the head of Grand river. De Smet (Ind. Aff. Rep., 277,
1865) says: "The worst among the hostile bands are the Blackfeet,
the Ogallalas, the Unkpapas, and Santees." The Oglala participated
in the massacre of Lieut. Grattan and his men at Ft Laramie in 1854.
From 1865 they and other restless bands of western Sioux were the
terror of the frontier, constantly attacking emigrant trains on the
plains and boats on the river, fighting soldiers, and harassing the
forts and stations during several years, under the leadership of
Sitting Bull and
Crazy Horse. The invasion
of the Black hills by gold seekers led to the war of 1876, in which
Custer and his command were destroyed. |
For
several months previous thereto stragglers from other tribes had
been flocking to Sitting Bull's standard, so that according to the
best estimates there were at the battle of Little Bighorn 2,500 or
3,000 Indian warriors. The victor and his band were soon thereafter
defeated by Gen. Miles and fled to Canada. Crazy Horse and more than
2,000 followers surrendered at Red Cloud and Spotted Tail agencies
in the May following. These different parties were composed in part
of Oglala, of whom the larger part probably surrendered with Crazy
Horse.
The Oglala entered into a treaty of peace with the
United States at the mouth of Teton (Bad) rivers, South
Dakota, July 5, 1825, and also a treaty sigued at Ft.Sully, South
Dakota,Oct. 28, 1865, prescribing relations with the
United State and with other tribes. An important treaty with the
Oglala and other tribes was made at Ft Laramie, Wyo., Apr. 29, 1868,
in which they agreed to cease |
Ear of Corn, wife of Lone Wolf |
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Dirty Face |
hostilities and which defined the limits of their
tribal lands. An agreement, confirming the treaty of 1868, was
concluded at Red Cloud agency, Neb., Sept. 26, 1876, which was
signed on behalf of the Oglala by Red
Cloud and other principal men of the tribe.
In 1906 the Oglala were officially reported to number
6,727, all at Pine Ridge agency , S. Dak. |
The books presented are for their
historical value only and are not the
opinions of the Webmasters of the site.
Handbook
of American Indians, 1906
Index of Tribes or NationsFree
Genealogy |
Indian
Genealogy
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Index of Tribes or Nations |
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