Chapter 19: Growth in the West Section 3: Native Americans fight to survive

Chapter 19: Growth in the WestChapter 19: Growth in the WestSection 3: Native Americans fight to Section 3: Native Americans fight to

survivesurvive

The The Buffalo:Buffalo:A A ““4 legged shopping center4 legged shopping center””

Uses for the buffaloUses for the buffalo Hide: clothing, tepees, Hide: clothing, tepees,

carrying bags, shieldscarrying bags, shields Horns: spoons and Horns: spoons and

other toolsother tools Belly: pails and bowlsBelly: pails and bowls Tail and hooves: Tail and hooves:

decorationdecoration Blood: foodBlood: food Brains and liver: eaten Brains and liver: eaten

raw right after the killraw right after the kill Meat: dried for foodMeat: dried for food

When discussing Native When discussing Native Americans and the West:Americans and the West:

Reservation Reservation Cholera Cholera Epidemic Epidemic Cavalry Cavalry Massacre Massacre … …

are used all are used all the timethe time

Without knowing Without knowing all of them: does all of them: does this sound positive this sound positive or negative for the or negative for the Indians?Indians?

Indians first moved:Indians first moved: West of the West of the

AppalachiansAppalachians West of the West of the

Mississippi RiverMississippi River Up to the RockiesUp to the Rockies

And…. Squeezed And…. Squeezed onto smaller and onto smaller and smaller pieces of smaller pieces of landland

These Indian These Indian territories were territories were seen as buffers or seen as buffers or barriers between barriers between Indians and WhitesIndians and Whites

(See next slides)(See next slides)

What led the Plains Indians to What led the Plains Indians to death and/or reservations?death and/or reservations?

One of the worst ways white men One of the worst ways white men affected Native Americans is by affected Native Americans is by

killing most of their buffalokilling most of their buffalo

1913-1938

Why get rid of all the buffalo?Why get rid of all the buffalo? Whites used them Whites used them

for food for those for food for those people building the people building the railroads.railroads.

They would They would sometimes just sometimes just shoot the for the fun shoot the for the fun of it (as a sport).of it (as a sport).

Or, they would shoot Or, they would shoot them so they wouldthem so they wouldnn ’’t get in the way of t get in the way of the trains that were the trains that were starting to pass starting to pass through the Westthrough the West

““CusterCuster’’s Last Stands Last Stand””““The Battle of Little BighornThe Battle of Little Bighorn””

There ended up being There ended up being more raids and attacksmore raids and attacks

One way to look for One way to look for peace was to peace was to promise Native promise Native Americans some Americans some land on what weland on what we’’d d now call now call reservationsreservations

(land set aside for Native Americans)

One place given to One place given to these Native these Native Americans was in Americans was in the Black Hills of the Black Hills of South Dakota.South Dakota.

Until…Until… the U.S. the U.S.

government found government found out there was gold out there was gold there, and they there, and they wanted it back.wanted it back.

Two other famous battles:Two other famous battles: The The Sand Creek Massacre Sand Creek Massacre Wounded KneeWounded Knee

““Wounded KneeWounded Knee””

On that day, in an On that day, in an atmosphere of mutual atmosphere of mutual distrust it took only the distrust it took only the firing of one gun to firing of one gun to begin the brutal killing begin the brutal killing of most of the 350 of most of the 350 Indian men, women and Indian men, women and children. Twenty-five of children. Twenty-five of the 492 soldiers and the 492 soldiers and scouts were also killed. scouts were also killed. It has been called both It has been called both a battle and a a battle and a massacre, but what massacre, but what Wounded Knee has Wounded Knee has come to symbolize is a come to symbolize is a clash of cultures and a clash of cultures and a failed government-failed government-Indian policy; its effects Indian policy; its effects still felt even today.still felt even today.

There were still about 50 times There were still about 50 times more whites than Indiansmore whites than Indians(And those odds were growing)(And those odds were growing)

Chief Joseph, Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Red Cloud

The Dawes Act The Dawes Act was passed by Congress was passed by Congress – to move Indians to – to move Indians to reservationsreservations

It was intended to help It was intended to help out Native Americans…out Native Americans…

……by teaching them to by teaching them to live more of a lifestyle live more of a lifestyle like white farmers did, like white farmers did, but you can imagine but you can imagine how well that workedhow well that worked

Chiksika (a Shawnee):Chiksika (a Shawnee): ““When a white When a white

army battles army battles Indians and wins, it Indians and wins, it is called a great is called a great victory, but if they victory, but if they lose it is called a lose it is called a massacre.massacre.””