Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Cover Image

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

by Dee Brown

Start Free Trial

Characters

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

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.)

Unlock this Study Guide Now

Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.

Get 48 Hours Free Access


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.

Previous

Themes

Next

Critical Essays

Loading...