1600's - In the late 1600's the
people who Native people who would become known as the
"Sioux" came into being as a people when they
moved into the Middle West of what is now known as the
United States. They settled on the Northern Plains and in
the upper reaches of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
"Sioux" is a term applied to these people by
early European explorers. It is a short form of a
derogatory term for these people used by another Indian
Tribe, the Ojibway (Chippewa), with whom the Sioux were
often in conflict. The conflict between these two peoples
arose in part from the pressure of European settlement
taking place in the East and pressing to the West. The
Sioux were composed of "Seven Council Fires"
which reflected the seven divisions within this group of
people. Among these seven are the Dakota in Minnesota,
later known as the East Santee, and the Oglala Lakota.
These two branches of Sioux, along with the other five,
came into severe conflict with the United States
Government. Eventually, out of this history of conflict,
there arose the continuing controversy over Bear Butte, a
sacred site to the Lakota and to the neighboring
Cheyenne.
1673 - Marquette and Joliet
"discover" the Upper Mississippi River and
describe its vast reach. Their 'discovery" dashes
hope for a water road to the Pacific Ocean.
1682 - LaSalle claims the Mississippi
River Valley for France by declaring the claim at the
mouth of the river near what is now New Orleans. What
becomes known as "The Louisiana Territory" is
ostensibly under French rule.
1776 - Declaration of Independence.
Allegation made that King George III has not helped the
colonists deal with difficulties with the "savages
of the interior" referring to conflict with Native
Americans.
1787 - United States Constitution is
adopted by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
Ratification by the states occurs in 1789 when New
Hampshire becomes the ninth state of the original
thirteen to ratify the Constitution. Article I grants
power to Congress to "regulate commerce among the
states . . . and with the Indian tribes."
1791 - Bill of Rights (First Ten
Amendments) to the United States Constitution is adopted
by Congress. Ratified by the states in 1793. First
Amendment protects religious liberty by prohibit
legislation to "establish" religion or prohibit
"free exercise" of religion. This limitation on
Congress is not extended to the states until judicial
decision in the early 20th Century though an
interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment (1868).
1803 - April 30th, Louisiana
Purchase. President Thomas Jefferson concludes a treaty
with the French in which the United States purchases the
"Louisiana Territory" from France. Jefferson
regarded this as his greatest achievement. It doubles the
land mass of the United States overnight, fuels the
controversy over slavery in the states and ignites
interest in westward expansion.
1804 - Lewis and Clark set out on
commission from jefferson to survey the Louisiana
Territory for the purpose of seeing to what use the new
territory might be put by the government. With Lewis and
Clark's survey, westward expansion commences and Native
American lands are reduced in scope successively
throughout the 19th Century.
1831 - Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, 30
U.S. (5 Pet.) 1 Chief Justice John Marshall, writing for
the United States Supreme Court, holds that the Cherokee
people are a "domestic dependent nation" and
not a foreign nation under United States law. This
effectively places the Indian people in the status of a
subject ward in relation to the federal government. This
status is reflected in the actions by the federal
government over the years to come in which Indian lands
are sharply reduced through a variety of means by the
action of the federal government.
1832 - Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S.
(6 Pet.) 515. United States Supreme Court holds that
state law does not apply on Indian land. This leads to
invalidation of anti-Cherokee laws passed by the State of
Georgia. It does not, however, provide any protection for
Indian people from United States federal governmental
power.
1854 - First outbreak of armed
hostilities between the United States Government and
Plains Indians (Brule and Lakota). One-hundred-thirty
Brule warriors are killed. Others taken into custody at
Fort Laramie.
1861 - Rumors of gold in the Black
Hills begin circulating. Black Hills Mining and
Exploration Association is incorporated. First activities
are primarily exploiting timber resources.
1862 - Outbreak of hostilities
between Dakota people (Eastern Sioux) and the United
States in Minnesota. The Dakota people, by now confined
to a ten mile wide strip of land on the south side of the
Minnesota River (a tributary of the Mississippi River)
were short on provisions which, along with payments from
the government, had been delayed in arriving. Killing of
a white family of settlers in a rural area ignites war
between the Dakota and the government. The Dakota are
ultimately defeated. More than 1200 Dakota are rounded
up. Another 800 surrendered in the ensuing weeks.
Military prosecution was held between September 28 and
November 3, 1862. During that time 392 Dakota men were
tried on charges of murder, rape and robbery before a
Military tribunal. Of these 323 were convicted and of
these 303 were sentenced to execution by hanging.
President Lincoln, on reviewing the list to be executed,
and upon learning of cheating and starvation of the
Dakota people at the hands of the government from the
Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota, ordered removal of all but
38 names from the list. These 38 were executed
simultaneously on December 26, 1862 in the Minnesota
River Valley at the city of Mankato. This stands as the
largest mass execution in United States history. After
the winter, the remaining Dakota people who had been
rounded up are dispersed to the West. Red Cloud realizes
the need to defend western Sioux lands.
1868 - Fort Laramie Treaty concluded
to end hostilities in "Red Cloud's war"
(1866-68). United States Government agreed to abandon
three forts and agreed that the State of South Dakota
west of the Missouri River would be Indian land, and that
the Oweder River and Big Horn Countries would be Indian
land into which non-Indian travel without Indian
permission was forbidden. Later Sitting Bull signed this
treaty on behalf of the Oglala Lakota people.
1872 - United States Government sends
out a survey team to plot a course for the Northern
Pacific Railroad through the Sitting Bull's territory.
Warned to stay away, the Government complied.
1876 - Sitting Bull's people,
wintering outside the boundaries of their lands, but
apparently unaware of being outside the boundaries
established by the Fort Laramie Treaty, were attacked by
General Custer, and the United States Calvary. Government
forces are defeated by Sitting Bull at the Battle of
Little Big Horn.
1876 - Reduction of Sioux lands by
one-half through action and agreement initiated by the
Government in 1876. The Black Hills are outside the
reduced.
1877 - Incorporation of the Homestake
Mining Company. Its operations centered at the town of
Lead in the Black Hills eventually expanded to produce
more gold than any other mining operation in the Western
Hemisphere in the next century.
1879 - Further reduction in Indian
lands takes place after further action and Agreement
initiated by the Government in 1879. Red Cloud, without
approval of his people, signs over the Black Hills, site
of Bear Butte, to the United States Government.
1889 - South Dakota and North Dakota
enter the federal Union as states created out of the
Dakota Territory.
1890 - The buffalo are largely gone
due to the pressure of white buffalo hunters. The Lakota
people, largely unarmed and defenseless, are humiliated
by the United States Cavalry at "The Battle of
Wounded Knee". With this the protracted armed
hostilities between the Plains Indians and the United
States Government comes to a close with the exception of
a few small engagements in the following decade.
1962 - The State of South Dakota
acquires Bear Butte for development as a State Park
1972 - Seven National Indian
organizations march on Washington, D.C. and occupy the
Bureau of Indian Affairs Headquarters in an effort to
publicize grievances with the government.
1973 - Members of the American Indian
Movement (AIM) occupy the historic Wounded Knee village
for 72 days in a tense and often violent confrontation
with federal officials. The occupation draws national
attention to the grievances of Indian people.
1978 - Congress passes the American
Indian Religious Freedom Act affirming religious freedom
for Indian people.
1983 - United States Court of Appeals
for the Eighth Circuit holds against Native American
claims for protection of Bear Butte as a sacred site in
Fools Crow v. Gullet, 706 F.2d 856 (8th Cir, 1983)
All Rights Reserved, 1995.
hvogel@seq.hamline.edu
Last update: 09-13-95
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