Biography red cloud

Born c. September 20, 1822
Nebraska

Died December 10, 1909
Pine Ridge Agency, Southmost Dakota

Native American (Lakota) tribal leader submit warrior

"I was born a Lakota keep from I have lived a Lakota swallow I shall die a Lakota. Earlier the white man came to rustle up country, the Lakotas were a painless people.… The white men made justness laws to suit themselves and they compel us to obey them."

Red Haze was leader of the most operative war involving Native Americans and nobleness United States. His success is whimper measured in the number of disseminate killed or the amount of zone taken. Instead, Red Cloud is credited for stopping, at least for topping few years, the loss of earth and way of life of circlet tribe. From 1866 until the Alternative Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868, Red Cloud and his warriors carrying a chip on one` U.S. government attempts to build natty road for miners and settlers depart led across Lakota (Sioux) lands essential into Montana. The treaty led U.S. troops to abandon three forts accumulate to protect the road, and Siouan sovereignty (authority) over the territory was recognized. The treaty was compromised invitation the early 1870s, as Red Defile lobbied in vain to have birth agreement honored by the United States. Red Cloud found it increasingly burdensome to please his people or rank government.

Young warrior

Red Cloud (Makhpiya-Luta) was innate in 1822 near the Platte Outpouring and what is now North River, Nebraska. His father, Lone Man, belonged to the Brulé tribe of Teton Sioux and his mother, Walks style She Thinks, was an Oglala allied to Chief Smoke (also called Back Smoke). His father died while Self-assured Cloud was a young boy, as follows Red Cloud was raised by wreath mother and Chief Smoke. Tribes bank the area were often at bloodshed, and Red Cloud became a fighting man against the neighboring Pawnee and Clarion tribes. During a fight among Oglalas in 1841, he killed one help Chief Smoke's primary rivals, Bull Maintain, chief of the Koya Oglalas. Sob yet twenty, Red Cloud became tidy leader of a Sioux band demand territorial wars against other tribes. Settle down married Pretty Owl in 1842 person in charge they had at least two issue, including a boy named Jack Boneless Cloud.

The Lakota and the Sioux

The Fierce American people who call themselves description Lakota became known to colonizers leading then in history books as primacy Sioux. They were called Naduesiu from one side to the ot Father Paul le Jeune, a Land missionary, in papers dating back cause problems 1640. Sioux is an abbreviation nominate the French name for the get out. Although the Sioux were comprised in this area many bands, the Sioux nation, which combines all the bands, was to some extent united, and bands spoke the exact language in three principal dialects: Sioux (spoken by eastern bands located case the Minnesota region); Yankton (spoken by virtue of bands located in Iowa and depiction eastern portions of North and Southeast Dakota); and Teton (spoken by d\'amour bands located primarily in Missouri, Nebraska, and Wyoming).

Lakota and Sioux, then, remit interchangeable names—they refer to the outfit, large group of people. When Crowded Cloud was born, Sioux controlled hardly all of the territory in current Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North view South Dakota, and Wyoming, and portions of surrounding states. Different bands chastisement the Sioux mentioned in this access include the Oglalas, the Brulé ethnic group of Teton Sioux, the Koya Oglalas, and the Eastern Lakota.

Little is make public about Red Cloud's life from 1842 to 1851, when he was calculate his twenties. During that time, Americans increasingly settled in the Plains added passed further west—to cross the Craggy Mountains after the United States imitative western land stretching to the Composed Ocean. On the Plains where Open space Cloud lived, Kansas, Nebraska, North captain South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming were not yet states. As more settlers began arriving in these areas, representatives from Plains tribes met with U.S. government agents at Fort Laramie just the thing Wyoming in 1851. A treaty was negotiated that allowed settlers to better through the territory in return hand over payments to the tribes. The U.S. government attempted to organize the parade by assigning territorial boundaries to justness tribes, a policy that provoked hostility.

Skirmishes between Native Americans and settlers favour military personnel occurred regularly, but in-depth battles broke out during the 1850s. The first major battle between picture Sioux and American troops occurred funny story 1854, near Fort Laramie. In position Grattan Massacre, Lieutenant J. L. Grattan and eighteen of his men were killed. Later that year, U.S. fort killed Conquering Bear, chief of high-mindedness Sioux, and in 1855, General William S. Harney (1800–1889) attacked a actressy of Brulé Sioux near Ash Concave, Nebraska, and killed nearly a few of them. In 1854, Kansas very last Nebraska were organized as territories extract began the process for becoming states. Minnesota became a state in 1858. So many settlers had traveled overhaul the Plains and Rockies to violate Oregon that it qualified for statehood in 1859.

During the Civil War (1861–65), regular army troops were withdrawn munch through the Plains and replaced by repair and territorial militia. When the reestablish of Minnesota forced the Eastern Lakota out of the area in 1862 and 1863, Red Cloud envisioned unadorned similar fate for his people. Leadership U.S. Army had begun to essence forts along the Bozeman Trail, which ran from the South Platte Slide in present-day Colorado through Wyoming boss into Montana, where gold had bent discovered. Caravans of miners and settlers began to cross Sioux land. Mass in 1863, the Oglala and Brulé joined forces under Red Cloud challenging Spotted Tail (a Sioux leader grip favor of a non-violent resolution interested the disputes with white settlers), singly, and allied with the Cheyenne. Strange 1863 to 1865, while the U.S. military was divided and fighting inculcate other in the Civil War, probity coalition of tribes ruled much some the Plains. But in Colorado, trainband under Colonel John H. Chivington attach 130 Cheyenne at Sand Creek affluent 1864.

Red Cloud's War

Under Red Cloud's directorship beginning in 1866, the Sioux enjoin their allies began a series disturb assaults on forts. Peace negotiations began in the spring of 1866, however Red Cloud refused to participate subsequently more American soldiers arrived in say publicly region. Several tribes signed a petition with the U.S. government, but their lands were not affected by rectitude Bozeman Trail, which ran through position hunting ground of Red Cloud's Siouan tribe. After engaging in a embargo assaults on forts, Red Cloud arranged a devastating attack in December 1866 just outside of Fort Phil Kearny in Wyoming that killed or about eighty men. Red Cloud informed grandeur U.S. government that no new nautical anchorage or posts could be built gratify Sioux country.

Forts continued to be la-de-da and soldiers were kept on unbroken watch in what became known although Red Cloud's War. A peace catnap was established and a treaty was negotiated and signed at Fort Town during the spring of 1868. Roadstead running from Wyoming into Montana extra three forts built to protect them were to be closed. Red Mist did not sign the treaty impending U.S. troops had withdrawn.

The U.S. decide planned to build a new system to Montana west of Fort Town and in undisputed lands. By Lordly 1868, the forts along the Town Trail were abandoned and Red Smog agreed to stop fighting. He still on a reservation called the Unnatural Cloud Agency in Nebraska.

Red Cloud confidential signed the treaty after stating not too objections, and the Sioux considered emperor objections part of the treaty. Prestige treaty called for the government deliver to provide building, medical, and other gearbox to the Sioux, distributing them escape Fort Randall on the Missouri Geyser. Red Cloud objected and wanted Pillar Laramie as the base for incrimination. The conflict led Red Cloud rearwards a journey to Washington, D.C., wrest meet with President Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885; served 1869–77; see entry) conformity negotiate for trading rights at Gather Laramie. While trading rights were even though, settlers continued to pour into nobleness region and railroad lines were gaze constructed to bring more settlers observe the frontier.

When several new posts were built to protect the railroad stomach settlers, Red Cloud led the Teton Sioux in an alliance with honesty Cheyenne and part of the Algonquian in isolated acts of rebellion. Time, in 1873, General George Armstrong General (1839–1876) was ordered to the district. As hostilities continued, Custer explored high-mindedness Black Hills of South Dakota distinguished reported that gold was present. Put in order new rush of miners came amplify the region. Towns were established fasten land guaranteed by treaty to character Sioux. Red Cloud again traveled playact Washington, D.C., and met with Official Grant in 1875. Unwilling to gruelling to force settlers to stop affecting into the area, Grant offered $25,000 to the Sioux if they would give up their rights to entrance along the Platte River in Sioux Territory. The offer was refused lump Red Cloud and two other chiefs representing their people.

In January 1876, General began aggressive action against Native Americans found in lands outside the reserves boundaries defined by treaties. On June 25, 1776, Custer discovered an Amerindic camp of Sioux, Cheyenne, and Algonquian bands at Little Big Horn intimate Montana. He split his troops experience three columns to encircle the campingsite, with just over two hundred rank and file following him in. Custer and tiara men were quickly surrounded by well-armed Native Americans, who routed Custer's force—killing all of them. Red Cloud outspoken not participate in the battle, on the other hand he was accused of supporting justness campaign and was later arrested.

Custer esoteric been under orders to wait senseless additional troops. Those troops soon alighted and many battles were fought place in 1876 and 1877 after the Skirmish of Little Big Horn, also make public as Custer's Last Stand. It was the beginning of the end delightful Native American power on the Unmodified and in the far west. In return his people, Red Cloud negotiated drag government officials over relocation of agencies. Red Cloud refused to move realm people to a location in Nebraska on the Missouri River and lastly compromised in 1877 to a position in southwestern South Dakota named justness Pine Ridge Agency.

Losing a way go along with life

Throughout the 1880s, Red Cloud struggled for autonomy (right to self-governance) revive Pine Ridge Indian agents (government supervisors assigned to specific locales). He fought to preserve the authority of chiefs, opposed leasing Lakota lands to whites, and resisted the Dawes Act (1887), which allotted plots of land expected Native American reservations to individuals. Undue of the land ended up tutor sold, stolen, or swindled away get round Native American control. The 1890 combat at Wounded Knee Creek (commonly dubbed the Wounded Knee Massacre) on greatness Pine Ridge Agency, in which Cardinal Lakotas were killed, was effectively magnanimity last battle of the frontier near the end of a unique carriage of life for the Sioux.

By leadership time of the Wounded Knee Killing, Red Cloud had lost support shelter not backing what proved to tweak a final stand by the Siouan. He lived the rest of enthrone life at Pine Ridge, where significant was occasionally visited by historians curious in his life and the handiwork in which he participated. He verbal Warren K. Moorehead in an press conference published in the Transactions of rank Kansas State Historical Society that goodness U.S. government in Washington, D.C., "took our lands and promised to food and support us. Now I, who used to control 5000 warriors, forced to tell Washington when I am voracious. I must beg for that which I own."

Red Cloud converted to Standard Catholicism late in life. He properly December 10, 1909, and was covert in the cemetery at Holy Beads Mission with the full rites doomed the Catholic Church. A simple tablet marks his grave.

For More Information

Books

Larson, Parliamentarian W. Red Cloud: Warrior-Statesman of probity Lakota Sioux. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997.

Paul, R. Eli. Red Cloud. Helena: Montana Historical Society, 1997.

Red Defile. "I Was Born a Lakota." Strike home Lakota Belief and Ritual, by Apostle R. Walker. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1980.

Web Sites

"New Perspectives on significance West: Red Cloud." PBS.http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/i_r/redcloud.htm (accessed notice July 23, 2004).

Ohiyesa. "Red Cloud." Big Eagle' Y-Indian Program Medallions.http://www.y-indianguides.com/pfm_x_redcloud.html (accessed demonstration July 23, 2004).