The The ““WildWild”” West WestIndiansIndians

Methods of Displacement

• 1. Reservations

Dawes Severalty Act, 1887

Dawes Severalty Act, 1887

• To assimilate Native Americans

• Break up tribes and reservations

• Give land directly to Native American individuals and families

• Indians accepting gave up tribal ways to achieve land deed and U.S. citizenship (after 25 years).

• Effect: reduced size of Indian land and population; made Indians poor.

Present-day Indian reservations

Before

Carlisle Indian School, PA.

2. Forced Assimilation through “education”

After

3. Treaties

4. Settlement

Oklahoma, 1889

5. Destruction of economy: 5. Destruction of economy: BuffaloBuffalo

Charles Russell

6. Armed Conflict6. Armed Conflict

The Indian Wars: Three Major EventsThe Indian Wars: Three Major Events

1. Battle of the Little BighornJune 25, 1876

Ft. Laramie Treaty

General George Armstrong Custer

Custer leading Black Hills expedition, 1874Custer leading Black Hills expedition, 1874

Sitting Bull

Tatanka Yotanka

Crazy Horse

Death of Crazy Horse

Sitting Bull went on to perform with Buffalo Bill

Custer became an American Legend

2. Flight of the Nez Perce

Chief Joseph

Nelson A. Miles

Oliver O. HowardNelson A. Miles

My people are tired… From where the sun now stands, I

will fight no more forever.

3. Wounded Knee Massacre, 1890

Wovoka

Ghost Dance

Big Foot and his people before the “battle”

Buffalo Bill Capt. BaldwinNelson Miles

1973AAmerican IIndian MMovement

Chief Luther Standing Bear, Oglala Sioux, on the “Wild West”

• We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, and winding streams with tangled growth, as "wild." Only to the white man was nature a "wilderness" and only to him was the land "infested" with "wild" animals and "savage" people. To us it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery. Not until the hairy man from the east came and with brutal frenzy heaped injustices upon us and the families we loved was it "wild" for us. When the very animals of the forest began fleeing from his approach, then it was that for us the "Wild West" began.