The Violation of Treaty Rights
The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie established the Great Sioux Reservation and guaranteed the Lakota undisturbed use of the Black Hills and surrounding unceded territories. The discovery of gold during Custer's 1874 expedition changed everything. When Lakota leaders refused to sell the sacred Paha Sapa, the Grant administration issued a January 31, 1876, ultimatum: report to reservation agencies or be deemed hostile.
The Great Encampment
By mid-June 1876, the valley of the Greasy Grass held between 7,000 and 8,000 people, with 1,500 to 2,500 warriors ready for defense. This was a sophisticated coalition organized into distinct camp circles:
- Hunkpapa Lakota (Sitting Bull, Gall) — Camped at the south end of the village, they were the first to respond to Reno's charge.
- Oglala Lakota (Crazy Horse, He Dog) — Positioned central-south, they executed flanking maneuvers and led the counter-attack on Custer Hill.
- Northern Cheyenne (Two Moons, Lame White Man) — At the northern end of the camp, they engaged Custer's forces on Last Stand Hill and Deep Ravine.
- Minneconjou Lakota (Red Horse, Lame Deer) — Held the center of the encampment and provided core resistance.
- Sans Arc Lakota (Spotted Eagle) — Central-north, reinforcing the Cheyenne at the northern fords.
- Arapaho (Waterman, Left Hand) — Interspersed throughout, fighting in support roles alongside the Cheyenne.
The Sun Dance Vision
During a Sun Dance on Rosebud Creek, Sitting Bull received a prophetic vision after offering a hundred pieces of skin from his arms and dancing for two days. He saw soldiers falling into camp. This spiritual certainty meant warriors fought with the confidence of a people fulfilling a divine mandate. Approximately twenty young warriors also took a suicide vow on June 24, pledging their lives to save the village.
The Battle of the Rosebud
One week before the Little Bighorn, on June 17, 1876, the Allied Nations fought General George Crook at the Rosebud River. In Cheyenne history, this is remembered as the day Buffalo Calf Road Woman rode into battle to rescue her brother Comes-in-Sight. This strategic triumph forced Crook's retreat, neutralizing one of the three army columns intended to trap the village and providing warriors with tactical experience against cavalry formations.
The Battle: June 25, 1876
The battle began at approximately 3:00 p.m. when Major Marcus Reno charged the southern end of the village. The Hunkpapa and Oglala warriors responded with such speed that Reno was immediately put on the defensive, leading to a disorganized flight to the bluffs.
While Reno's survivors dug in, Custer moved north seeking a ford. The Cheyenne leader Two Moons described warriors circling the soldiers like a whirlpool. By 5:00 p.m., the engagement on what is now called Last Stand Hill was over. Sitting Bull's vision had been realized.
Women participated both logistically and combatively — rallying warriors with strongheart songs, capturing runaway horses, and ensuring children's safety.
The Crow and Arikara Scouts
Nearly 40 scouts from the Crow and Arikara nations accompanied the 7th Cavalry. The Crow had been in conflict with the Lakota over Yellowstone and Bighorn valley hunting grounds. To the Crow, the U.S. Army was a tool to preserve their own sovereignty against a more immediate Indigenous threat. Their service is seen by their descendants as an act of warrior tradition and tribal defense.
Aftermath: “Sell or Starve”
Tactical victory did not lead to long-term sovereignty. In August 1876, Congress attached the “sell or starve” rider to the Indian Appropriations Act, withholding all food rations until the Lakota ceded the Black Hills. The 1877 Agreement was legally fraudulent, lacking the required three-fourths signatures.
The Century of Litigation
In 1980, the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians that the U.S. had acquired the Black Hills through unfair and dishonorable dealing. The Lakota have consistently refused the court-ordered compensation, now valued at over $1.5 billion. The position remains firm: the Black Hills are not for sale.