Characters
Big Foot
Big Foot, a Minneconjou chief, decides to surrender his people when the
military begins killing indiscriminately in retaliation for Custer's death.
After being identified as a Ghost Dance instigator, Big Foot attempts to lead
his people to Red Cloud's Agency at Pine Ridge. The Army captures them and
tries to disarm them. During this process, a Minneconjou fires a shot,
prompting the military to react and kill Big Foot along with most of the
Minneconjous.
Black Kettle
Black Kettle, a Cheyenne chief, goes to great lengths to maintain peace with
white settlers. He assures his people at Sand Creek that they are under Army
protection, but the village is slaughtered. He escapes, only to be deceived
again later, ultimately dying while trying to negotiate peace with soldiers.
General Sheridan falsely claims that Black Kettle was offered peace but chose
war.
Captain Jack
Captain Jack, the chief of the Modocs, strives for peace with white settlers
even after some Modocs are killed. However, when Hooker Jim's band of Modocs
kills some settlers, Captain Jack agrees not to turn them in. Under pressure
from this band, he kills General Canby but is later betrayed by them, leading
the Army to capture him. Captain Jack is subsequently hanged.
Cochise
Cochise, an Apache chief, fights numerous battles with the American military,
evades capture multiple times, and leads raids against white settlers. When
American soldiers shoot his father-in-law, Mangas, Cochise rides to Mexico and
forces a Mexican surgeon to save Mangas's life. Cochise eventually secures a
reservation that includes part of the Apaches' land.
Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse, a Sioux chief, refuses to live on a reservation. As a young man,
he distinguishes himself in Red Cloud's War. He is among the chiefs who oppose
selling the Black Hills to the government, and he leads several battles in this
war, including the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where General Custer is
killed. When the military arrives in overwhelming force to avenge Custer's
death, Crazy Horse fights but ultimately surrenders. After some of his people
join the military to fight other Native Americans, Crazy Horse tries to lead
the rest of his people back to their land. He is captured and fatally stabbed
while attempting to escape. Crazy Horse's parents bury his heart and bones near
Wounded Knee Creek.
General George Crook
General Crook leads numerous campaigns against the Apaches—who refer to him as
Gray Wolf—and the Plains Native Americans—who call him Three Stars. Over a
decade, Crook's initially cold attitude toward Native Americans evolves into
one of respect and sympathy. He assists the runaway Poncas in winning their
freedom in court, employs diplomacy rather than force to secure Geronimo's
surrender, and criticizes local newspapers for spreading falsehoods about the
Apaches. Crook resigns when the War Department fails to honor his surrender
terms with Geronimo. Later, the government deceives him into persuading the
Sioux that their lands will be taken by force if they do not sell them.
General George Armstrong Custer
General Custer engages in several campaigns against the Plains Native
Americans, who call him either Hard Backsides or Long Hair. He reports that the
Black Hills are rich in gold, drawing many gold seekers to the area. During the
ensuing War for the Black Hills, at the Battle of Little Bighorn, Sioux and
Cheyenne warriors kill Custer and all his men, marking the greatest defeat for
the United States Army in conflicts with Native Americans. The government's
massive retaliation for this defeat ultimately leads to the end of freedom for
all Plains Native Americans.
Donehogawa
Donehogawa, an Iroquois who adopts the American...
(This entire section contains 2003 words.)
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name Ely Samuel Parker, achieves notable success in the white world. He learns English and attends law school but is denied the right to take the bar exam. He becomes a civil engineer and serves with General Grant during the Civil War. When General Lee surrenders at Appomattox, Parker drafts the terms of surrender. After Grant is elected president, he appoints Parker as Commissioner of Indian Affairs. However, a powerful political faction opposed to any Native American in government eventually pressures Parker into resigning.
Dull Knife
Dull Knife, a Northern Cheyenne chief, leads several battles. After Custer's
defeat at Little Bighorn, the military attacks and destroys Dull Knife's
village. The Northern Cheyennes are relocated to a Cheyenne reservation in
Indian Territory, where many succumb to hunger and disease. Dull Knife and
several Cheyennes seek refuge with Red Cloud but are captured. They manage to
escape, but only Dull Knife and a small group of Cheyennes reach Red Cloud's
agency, where they become prisoners.
Geronimo
Geronimo, an Apache chief, leads numerous raids into Mexico. When the
government stations soldiers near his reservation, Geronimo feels threatened.
He and his followers escape to their stronghold in Mexico and form a small
army. Geronimo surrenders to General Crook but leaves the reservation again
upon hearing rumors of his impending arrest. The Army deploys a force of
several thousand against Geronimo's twenty-four men. Geronimo surrenders and is
imprisoned in Florida. He dies on a reservation as a prisoner of war.
The Gray Wolf
See General George Crook
The Great Warrior Sherman
See General William T. Sherman
Hard Backsides
See General George Armstrong Custer
Kicking Bird
Kicking Bird was a Kiowa chief who consistently refused to engage in or endorse
aggressive actions against the Army. Due to his loyalty, the government
compelled him to select several Kiowas to be held accountable for the tribe's
involvement in conflicts. Kicking Bird died mysteriously two days after being
threatened by a medicine man, following the consumption of a cup of coffee.
Little Crow
Little Crow was a chief of the Santee Sioux, who were repeatedly cheated out of
their treaty agreements. Despite his reluctance to battle the formidable U.S.
military, he was forced into conflict when young Santee Sioux men killed
settlers. Although the Santees won some skirmishes, they ultimately lost the
war after a major ambush failed and Little Crow was betrayed by another Santee.
Little Crow was eventually shot and killed by a white settler.
Little Wolf
Little Wolf was a Northern Cheyenne chief who led numerous battles. The
Northern Cheyennes were relocated to a reservation in Indian Territory, where
many succumbed to hunger and disease. Little Wolf and several others attempted
to return to their ancestral land but surrendered after a winter spent evading
soldiers. Little Wolf, like many Native Americans, was ultimately destroyed by
alcohol.
Lone Wolf
Lone Wolf was a Kiowa chief who negotiated the release of Satanta and another
chief. He often clashed with Kicking Bird's peaceful stance. Lone Wolf allied
with the Comanches and engaged in numerous battles with white soldiers and
hunters in an effort to expel them and protect the buffalo. After his son was
killed in one of these battles, Lone Wolf's resolve only grew stronger. He was
among the last Kiowas to surrender and was one of those imprisoned by Kicking
Bird.
Long Hair
See General George Armstrong Custer
Manuelito
Manuelito was a Navajo chief who sought to maintain peace with the United
States through treaties. However, after U.S. soldiers cheated during a friendly
horse race and shot Navajos who protested, the Navajos went to war with the
soldiers. Manuelito was the last chief to surrender. He and his people lived in
deplorable conditions for two years at the Bosque Redondo reservation before
the government allowed them to return to a small portion of their original
land.
Ouray the Arrow
Ouray was a Ute chief fluent in English, which he used to secure a significant
portion of Ute land. When a new agent arrived at the White River Agency and
tried to convert Ouray and the Utes to his religion and lifestyle, the
situation escalated into a battle. The government used this incident as a
pretext to seize Ute land.
Ely Samuel Parker
See Donehogawa
Red Cloud
Red Cloud, a prominent Sioux chief, achieves numerous victories against the
U.S. government. He conducts a successful guerrilla campaign that forces the
government to withdraw its Army from the region. Later, when Red Cloud
discovers that the peace treaty he signed included undisclosed terms, he
effectively argues his case before President Grant and Donehogawa. He also
captivates a New York audience with his passionate speech about the deceptive
treaty. However, Red Cloud ultimately loses his gains when he is compelled to
sign a treaty that relinquishes his lands and moves his people to a
reservation.
Roman Nose
Roman Nose, a Southern Cheyenne warrior, commands the loyalty of the Dog
Soldier Society, a formidable group of Cheyenne fighters, despite not being a
chief. He orchestrates a successful assault against soldiers in the Powder
River region and unites the Southern Cheyennes and Arapahos to defend their
territory. The government recognizes Roman Nose as crucial to achieving lasting
peace but he refuses to attend a peace commission. Instead, he leads multiple
raids against settlers and ultimately dies in combat with a small group of Army
scouts.
Satanta
Satanta, a Kiowa chief, is captured and imprisoned but later paroled through
the efforts of Lone Wolf. Satanta and his warriors fail in their attempts to
drive away white buffalo hunters. Eventually, Satanta is sentenced to life
imprisonment, where he takes his own life.
General Philip Sheridan
General Sheridan spearheads several military campaigns against the Plains
Native Americans. He falsely claims to have offered sanctuary to Chief Black
Kettle during a massacre at his village. Sheridan's statement, “The only good
Indian is a dead Indian,” becomes widely quoted as a hateful expression. He
advocates for the extermination of buffalo as a strategy to force Native
Americans to adopt white culture.
General William T. Sherman
General Sherman, hailed as the Great Warrior Sherman by many Native Americans,
is a Civil War hero who oversees American forces throughout numerous
Native-American conflicts. He participates in several peace commissions with
different Native-American tribes. After Custer's defeat, Sherman takes military
control of all reservations. Despite Standing Bear's legal victory and
subsequent freedom, Sherman defies the new law by granting General Sheridan the
military authority to detain other Poncas.
Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull is the most influential chief of the Sioux, and at times, he gains
loyalty from other Native-American tribes. He engages in numerous battles with
U.S. soldiers to maintain his freedom and the Sioux's claim to the Black Hills.
Alongside Crazy Horse, he triumphs over Custer's forces at the Battle of the
Little Bighorn. When the military arrives in overwhelming numbers to avenge
Custer's defeat, Sitting Bull and some of his followers retreat to Canada.
However, upon returning to the United States under a false promise of amnesty,
he becomes a military prisoner. Despite this, many chiefs, journalists, and
others visit him, and he soon becomes a celebrity. He even gets permission to
tour the country. The government mistakenly believes Sitting Bull is spreading
the Ghost Dance and attempts to arrest him. During the arrest, he is killed by
two Sioux policemen.
Standing Bear
Standing Bear is a chief of the Ponca tribe. His people are deceived into
relocating to Indian Territory, where many, including his last son, perish.
While attempting to return to Ponca land to bury his son, Standing Bear and a
group of Poncas are captured. With the help of General Crook, two lawyers, and
a sympathetic judge, Standing Bear successfully secures freedom for himself and
his escort party, though not for the rest of his people.
Three Stars
See General George Crook
Young Joseph
Young Joseph, better known as Chief Joseph, is a chief of the Nez-Percé tribe.
When miners pressure the government to relocate the Nez Percés to a
reservation, Chief Joseph initially seeks a peaceful resolution but decides to
fight after some of his warriors kill settlers. He leads his skilled marksmen
to several victories against superior forces, but eventually, the military
overpowers him, and he surrenders. He and most of his people are sent to Indian
Territory, where he dies of a broken heart, according to the agency
physician.