Annotated Chronology for Bear Butte

1600's - In the late 1600's the people who Native people who would become known as the "Sioux" came into being as a people when they moved into the Middle West of what is now known as the United States. They settled on the Northern Plains and in the upper reaches of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. "Sioux" is a term applied to these people by early European explorers. It is a short form of a derogatory term for these people used by another Indian Tribe, the Ojibway (Chippewa), with whom the Sioux were often in conflict. The conflict between these two peoples arose in part from the pressure of European settlement taking place in the East and pressing to the West. The Sioux were composed of "Seven Council Fires" which reflected the seven divisions within this group of people. Among these seven are the Dakota in Minnesota, later known as the East Santee, and the Oglala Lakota. These two branches of Sioux, along with the other five, came into severe conflict with the United States Government. Eventually, out of this history of conflict, there arose the continuing controversy over Bear Butte, a sacred site to the Lakota and to the neighboring Cheyenne.

1673 - Marquette and Joliet "discover" the Upper Mississippi River and describe its vast reach. Their 'discovery" dashes hope for a water road to the Pacific Ocean.

1682 - LaSalle claims the Mississippi River Valley for France by declaring the claim at the mouth of the river near what is now New Orleans. What becomes known as "The Louisiana Territory" is ostensibly under French rule.

1776 - Declaration of Independence. Allegation made that King George III has not helped the colonists deal with difficulties with the "savages of the interior" referring to conflict with Native Americans.

1787 - United States Constitution is adopted by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Ratification by the states occurs in 1789 when New Hampshire becomes the ninth state of the original thirteen to ratify the Constitution. Article I grants power to Congress to "regulate commerce among the states . . . and with the Indian tribes."

1791 - Bill of Rights (First Ten Amendments) to the United States Constitution is adopted by Congress. Ratified by the states in 1793. First Amendment protects religious liberty by prohibit legislation to "establish" religion or prohibit "free exercise" of religion. This limitation on Congress is not extended to the states until judicial decision in the early 20th Century though an interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment (1868).

1803 - April 30th, Louisiana Purchase. President Thomas Jefferson concludes a treaty with the French in which the United States purchases the "Louisiana Territory" from France. Jefferson regarded this as his greatest achievement. It doubles the land mass of the United States overnight, fuels the controversy over slavery in the states and ignites interest in westward expansion.

1804 - Lewis and Clark set out on commission from jefferson to survey the Louisiana Territory for the purpose of seeing to what use the new territory might be put by the government. With Lewis and Clark's survey, westward expansion commences and Native American lands are reduced in scope successively throughout the 19th Century.

1831 - Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, 30 U.S. (5 Pet.) 1 Chief Justice John Marshall, writing for the United States Supreme Court, holds that the Cherokee people are a "domestic dependent nation" and not a foreign nation under United States law. This effectively places the Indian people in the status of a subject ward in relation to the federal government. This status is reflected in the actions by the federal government over the years to come in which Indian lands are sharply reduced through a variety of means by the action of the federal government.

1832 - Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515. United States Supreme Court holds that state law does not apply on Indian land. This leads to invalidation of anti-Cherokee laws passed by the State of Georgia. It does not, however, provide any protection for Indian people from United States federal governmental power.

1854 - First outbreak of armed hostilities between the United States Government and Plains Indians (Brule and Lakota). One-hundred-thirty Brule warriors are killed. Others taken into custody at Fort Laramie.

1861 - Rumors of gold in the Black Hills begin circulating. Black Hills Mining and Exploration Association is incorporated. First activities are primarily exploiting timber resources.

1862 - Outbreak of hostilities between Dakota people (Eastern Sioux) and the United States in Minnesota. The Dakota people, by now confined to a ten mile wide strip of land on the south side of the Minnesota River (a tributary of the Mississippi River) were short on provisions which, along with payments from the government, had been delayed in arriving. Killing of a white family of settlers in a rural area ignites war between the Dakota and the government. The Dakota are ultimately defeated. More than 1200 Dakota are rounded up. Another 800 surrendered in the ensuing weeks. Military prosecution was held between September 28 and November 3, 1862. During that time 392 Dakota men were tried on charges of murder, rape and robbery before a Military tribunal. Of these 323 were convicted and of these 303 were sentenced to execution by hanging. President Lincoln, on reviewing the list to be executed, and upon learning of cheating and starvation of the Dakota people at the hands of the government from the Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota, ordered removal of all but 38 names from the list. These 38 were executed simultaneously on December 26, 1862 in the Minnesota River Valley at the city of Mankato. This stands as the largest mass execution in United States history. After the winter, the remaining Dakota people who had been rounded up are dispersed to the West. Red Cloud realizes the need to defend western Sioux lands.

1868 - Fort Laramie Treaty concluded to end hostilities in "Red Cloud's war" (1866-68). United States Government agreed to abandon three forts and agreed that the State of South Dakota west of the Missouri River would be Indian land, and that the Oweder River and Big Horn Countries would be Indian land into which non-Indian travel without Indian permission was forbidden. Later Sitting Bull signed this treaty on behalf of the Oglala Lakota people.

1872 - United States Government sends out a survey team to plot a course for the Northern Pacific Railroad through the Sitting Bull's territory. Warned to stay away, the Government complied.

1876 - Sitting Bull's people, wintering outside the boundaries of their lands, but apparently unaware of being outside the boundaries established by the Fort Laramie Treaty, were attacked by General Custer, and the United States Calvary. Government forces are defeated by Sitting Bull at the Battle of Little Big Horn.

1876 - Reduction of Sioux lands by one-half through action and agreement initiated by the Government in 1876. The Black Hills are outside the reduced.

1877 - Incorporation of the Homestake Mining Company. Its operations centered at the town of Lead in the Black Hills eventually expanded to produce more gold than any other mining operation in the Western Hemisphere in the next century.

1879 - Further reduction in Indian lands takes place after further action and Agreement initiated by the Government in 1879. Red Cloud, without approval of his people, signs over the Black Hills, site of Bear Butte, to the United States Government.

1889 - South Dakota and North Dakota enter the federal Union as states created out of the Dakota Territory.

1890 - The buffalo are largely gone due to the pressure of white buffalo hunters. The Lakota people, largely unarmed and defenseless, are humiliated by the United States Cavalry at "The Battle of Wounded Knee". With this the protracted armed hostilities between the Plains Indians and the United States Government comes to a close with the exception of a few small engagements in the following decade.

1962 - The State of South Dakota acquires Bear Butte for development as a State Park

1972 - Seven National Indian organizations march on Washington, D.C. and occupy the Bureau of Indian Affairs Headquarters in an effort to publicize grievances with the government.

1973 - Members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) occupy the historic Wounded Knee village for 72 days in a tense and often violent confrontation with federal officials. The occupation draws national attention to the grievances of Indian people.

1978 - Congress passes the American Indian Religious Freedom Act affirming religious freedom for Indian people.

1983 - United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit holds against Native American claims for protection of Bear Butte as a sacred site in Fools Crow v. Gullet, 706 F.2d 856 (8th Cir, 1983)

All Rights Reserved, 1995.

Last update: 09-13-95