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Sitting Bull

Case from Grand River, SD dated Dec 15, 1890

Victim Details

Sitting Bull

Male

Native American / American Indian

Grand River

SD

1890-12-15

58

Sitting

Bull

07/03/2026

Case Description

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In the cold, dark hours before dawn on December 15, 1890, the final chapter of the life of Sitting Bull, a 58-year-old Hunkpapa Lakota male, began to unfold on the Grand River in South Dakota. Amid the rising tensions surrounding the Ghost Dance, a spiritual movement that promised a restoration of the Native American way of life, the U.S. Indian Agent at the Standing Rock Agency, James McLaughlin, grew fearful of the chief's influence. Believing Sitting Bull would encourage a rebellion, McLaughl ...
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Links to Additional Sources (10)

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  • Death of Lakota Leader Sitting Bull | Mystic Stamp Discovery Center
  • An Account of Sitting Bull's Death | The West | PBS | Ken Burns - PBS
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    Forum Posts (2)

    Has anyone else delved into what happened to Sitting Bull’s remains after his death? I recently re... ...Read More
    07/14/2024
    I came across some details about the aftermath of Sitting Bull's tragic death and found it both fasc... ...Read More
    11/26/2023
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