Native Study

Shoshone Tribe

The Shoshone people are indigenous people native to the southwest of the United States, coming primarily from what is now Nevada and Utah. Although they refer to themselves as "Newe", meaning "people", they got their name from the Shoshone word for "tall grass", due to their huts composed mostly of grass. 

They were involved in wars throughout the early United States like most of the Native American Tribes. They also suffered tragedy, such as the Bear River Massacre when settlers came onto their land. Fortunately, the site of this massacre has been given to them to keep as a holy land. Today they work with state organizations to preserve the culture and land that is rich with history from their tribe.

Sacajawea was the most famous of the Shoshone people mainly because of her role in aiding Lewis and Clark on their voyage across America. She was instrumental in the survival of the two travelers from North Dakota all the way to the pacific ocean. This trip was intended to find a river system to connect all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
Later in life she gave birth to a son and a daughter. Her son grew up to live the life of a western frontiersman, and Sacajawea got herself on the one dollar coin in 2000 in honor of her impact on the exploring of the continent we live on today.

Sioux Tribe

The Sioux have had a long history of contact with settlers, starting with French fur traders and the Dakotas. The French formed an alliance to help combat the English fur traders, although they fought with the Sioux sometimes. More violent of a conflict, however, was that between the Sioux and the Pawnee, which ended with the battle of Massacre Canyon. Even after this, however, they had armed conflicts such as the Dakota Wars and the Wounded Knee Massacre. 

Today the Sioux Tribe has over 20 reservations on which most of the enrolled Sioux members live. The idea of reservations which is so common today started with railroad construction needing to hunt down the buffaloes, and the Native Americans being given an alternate living space. The Sioux that live on these reservations now depend on annual payment from the government to support themselves because of the loss they suffered with the buffalo.

Sitting Bull was and is an icon of Native American culture, not only just for the Sioux but for the entire ethnic group. He was a Holy man and a medicine man for his tribe, which he led in defiance of the oppressive United States Army. Probably his greatest legacy was the victory at the Battle Little Big Horn over Custard. Supposedly he received a revelation or premonition that they would win, and his inspirational attitude motivated his men to fight. After leading his warriors through various wars and battles, he retreats with them to Saskatchewan. After a stay there he surrenders to the United States army and is later assassinated.