Sitting Bull

[MEXCAN]

the link to the article Sitting Bull

Thanks, Giving?
Sitting Bull, November 27, 2002

Sitting Bull (1831-1890) was the spiritual and military leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota (Hunkpapa, one of the seven bands of the Lakota/Sioux). While other tribes signed treaties with the U.S. government, deals that turned out to be worth less than the paper they were written on, Sitting Bull chose to fight. He simply did not trust the U.S. government ("I never taught my people to trust Americans. I have told them the truth - that the Americans are great liars"). After defeating the genocidal General George Custer at Little Big Horn, Sitting Bull was eventually forced to surrender and leave the Lakota lands, finding work in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show for a brief time. In 1890, he returned to the Lakota territory only to be killed by tribal police who were worried he might be stiring up dreams of freedom. While you're remembering all you're thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, take a moment from the gluttony or the game to consider the words of a leader of those original people whose tragic hospitality this holiday is supposed to honor:

"Friends and Relatives: Our minds are again disturbed by the Great Father's representatives, the Indian Agent, the squaw men, the mixed-bloods, the interepreters, and the favorite ration chiefs. What is it they want of us at this time? They want us to give up another chunk of our tribal land. This is not the first time or the last time. They will again try to gain possession of the last piece of ground we possess. They are again telling us what they intend to do if we agree to their wishes. Have we ever set a price on our land and received such a value? No, we never did. What we got under formal treaties was promises of all sorts... We are dying off in expectaion of these promises...


Therefore, I do not wish to consider any proposition to cede any portion of our tribal holdings to the Great Father. If I agree to dispose of any part of our land to the white people I would feel guilty of taking food away from our children's mouths, and I do not wish to be that mean. There are things they tell us that sound good to hear, but when they have accomplished their purpose they will go home and will not try to fulfill our agreements with them."



What treaty that the whites have kept has the red man broken? Not one. What treaty that the white man ever made with us have they kept? Not one. When I was a boy the Sioux owned the world; the sun rose and set on their land; they sent ten thousand men to battle. Where are the warriors today? Who slew them? Where are our lands? Who owns them? What white man can say I ever stole his land or a penny of his money? Yet, they say I am a thief. What white woman, however lonely, was ever captive or insulted by me? Who has ever come to me hungry and unfed? Who has ever seen me beat my wives or abuse my children? What law have I broken? Is it wrong for me to love my own? Is it wicked for me because my skin is red? Because I am Lakota, because I was born where my father dies, because I would die for my people and my country?"

[Pete]

I agree. I remember seeing that thing somewhere else before. Problay on the History Channel.

But Thanksgiving is an old English Festival which takes place, traditionally, in October (Canadians and Brits have upheld this, the Americans havent) dating back to the days of the Celtic domination in England. Amazing how it has changed.

[MEXCAN]

I'm from Canada!!We don't do much on ThanksGiving.But i thought that the Americans celebrated this holiday????!!!!!

[Pete]

I eat turkey and fancy pies. And I get one day off school.

I dunno what the americans do. they have there damn football culture and 4 day weekend to do nothing on.

[suffianr]

Sad. I can empathise, to a certain extent. I read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee when I was a teenager, it made my blood boil...