They kept up dancing until fully 100 persons were lying unconscious. : Wounded Knee

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1 They kept up dancing until fully 100 persons were lying unconscious. : Wounded Knee Read the following and: 1. Circle information that helps you to understand the context (time period the source was created). 2. Underline information that helps you to understand the subtext (information about the author/author s purpose for creating the source) 3. Take notes (to the left of the source) on what the source indicates why if the participants in the Chinese Cultural Revolution willing participants or blind followers? Source A: E.B. Reynolds, Special United States Indian Agent Rosebud, South Background Information: Reynolds was appointed to his position on the reservation as a reward for his support of Republican President Benjamin Harrison. Called a patronage position, Reynolds had no qualifications for the job other than his party affiliation. Prior to taking the position, Reynolds had never been on an Indian. Reynolds was bewildered by the complex realities of the reservations; He viewed the Ghost Dance as an affront not only to civilization, but also to his own personal authority to control the reservations. I deem it my duty to call the attention of the Department to the extremely disaffected and troublesome state of a portion of the Indians on their and other Sioux reservations. The coming new order of things as preached to these people during the past seven months is to return to earth their forbearers, the buffalo, the elk, and all the other game, the complete restoration of their ancient habits, customs, and power, and the annihilation of the white man. This movement [Ghost Dance Movement] is continually gaining new adherents, and they are daily becoming more threatening and defiant of the authorities. This may be in measure be attributed to the scant supply of rations, to which my attention has been called to daily by the Indians, and especially the reduction in the quantity of beef The religious excitement aggravated by almost starvation is bearing fruit in this state of insubordination: Indians say they had better die fighting than to die a slow death of starvation, and as the new religion promises their return to earth they have no fear of death The indications are unmistakable; these Indians hav within the past three weeks traded horses and everything else they could trade for arms and ammunition

2 Source Information Impact of Subtext or Context on the Information provided by the source Source A: E.B. Reynolds, Special United States Indian Agent Rosebud, South Source B: From the Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1891 Source C: Telegrams from D.F. Royer, Indian Agent, Pine Ridge South Source D: Telegram sent by General Nelson A. Miles, Commander of the Pine Ridge Source E: Reports forwarded by Brigadier-General Ruger, Commander of the Department of the s Source F: V.T. McGillicuddy, Former Indian Agent at the Pine Ridge Indian Notes:

3 They kept up dancing until fully 100 persons were lying unconscious. : Wounded Knee Read the following and: 1. Circle information that helps you to understand the context (time period the source was created). 2. Underline information that helps you to understand the subtext (information about the author/author s purpose for creating the source) 3. Take notes (to the left of the source) on what the source indicates why if the participants in the Chinese Cultural Revolution willing participants or blind followers? Source C: Telegrams from D.F. Royer, Indian Agent, Pine Ridge South Background Information: Royer was appointed to his position on the reservation as a reward for his support of Republican President Benjamin Harrison. Called a patronage position Royer had no qualifications other than his party affiliation. Prior to taking the position, Reynolds had never been on an Indian. Royer was bewildered by the complex realities of the reservations; He was nicked named by the Indians Man Afraid of Indians. Telegram 1: November 12, 1890 These Ghost Dances have assumed so such proportions that they become very serious They [Indians] have been permitted to continue in these foolish and harmful practices until they are entirely beyond the control of the police.what makes the situation so serious is that every Indian is armed with a Winchester rifle, and when requested to stop these dances they strip themselves and are ready to fight. Why any Indian on the reservation is permitted to have a gun I am not informed. The condition of the affairs at my agency when I took charge, whether intentional or not, were to render my administration a failure. Orders of Constitutional authority are daily violated and defied and I am powerless to enforce them. The condition of affairs is going from bad to worse. Yesterday, in attempting to arrest an Indian for violation of regulations the offender drew a butcher knife on the police and in less than two minutes he was reinforced by two hundred Ghost Dancers all armed and ready to fight; consequently the arrest was not made The police force are overpowered and disheartened; we have no protection; are at the mercy of these crazy dancers Telegram 2: November 15, 1890 Indians are dancing in the snow and are wild and crazy. I have fully informed you that employees and Government property at this agency have no protection and are at the mercy of these dancers. Why delay by further investigation? We need protection and we need it now. The Leaders should be arrested and confined in some military post until the matter it quieted, and this should be done at once Telegrams 3 and 4: November 20, 1890 Indians are wild and crazy over the ghost dance. Impossible for me to enforce with assistance of Indian police. Will your Department take immediate action to suppress this most dangerous craze? Dancers defy law and order. Commissioner of Indian Affairs has directed me to report promptly and fully to you. We are at the mercy of these crazy demons. We need the military and need them at once. A number of overt acts have been committed. In attempting to arrest an Indian Tuesday for violating regulations, he drew a butcher knife on the police, and in less than two minutes over two hundred armed Indians, ready to fight, ran to his assistance. This occurred close to my office. They threatened the agent, and were only prevented from burning all the Government buildings and supplies by older and wiser heads. The situation here is serious; we have no protection; our police are overpowered and can do nothing. I received a communication from the offender Tuesday that if I did not discharge the police who attempted to arrest him by next issue day I might expect trouble. We need protection and we need it now. The Indians are buying all the ammunition they can get and are well armed. Delay is dangerous.

4 Source Information Impact of Subtext or Context on the Information provided by the source Source A: E.B. Reynolds, Special United States Indian Agent Rosebud, South Source B: From the Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1891 Source C: Telegrams from D.F. Royer, Indian Agent, Pine Ridge South Source D: Telegram sent by General Nelson A. Miles, Commander of the Pine Ridge Source E: Reports forwarded by Brigadier-General Ruger, Commander of the Department of the s Source F: V.T. McGillicuddy, Former Indian Agent at the Pine Ridge Indian Notes:

5 They kept up dancing until fully 100 persons were lying unconscious. : Wounded Knee Read the following and: 1. Circle information that helps you to understand the context (time period the source was created). 2. Underline information that helps you to understand the subtext (information about the author/author s purpose for creating the source) 3. Take notes (to the left of the source) on what the source indicates why if the participants in the Chinese Cultural Revolution willing participants or blind followers? Source D: Telegram sent by General Nelson A. Miles, Commander of the Pine Ridge Background Information: Maj. Gen. Nelson A. Miles, commander of the military division where the reservations lay, was swayed by his own political ambitions, his (and the army's) longstanding efforts to wrest oversight of Indian affairs from the Interior Department, and his desire to preserve the army's relevance in the face of growing interest in the navy rather than the army as the most important branch of the military. Miles, feared for his own political future and was infuriated by the administration's criticisms of his handling of Indian affairs. RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, December 19, Senator DAWES,Washington, District of Columbia: You may be assured of the following facts that can not be gainsaid: First. The forcing process of attempting to make large bodies of Indians self-sustaining when the government was cutting down their rations and their crops almost a failure, is one cause of the difficulty. Second. While the Indians were urged and almost forced to sign a treaty presented to them by the commission authorized by Congress, in which they gave up a valuable portion of their reservation which is now occupied by white people, the government has failed to fulfill its part of the compact, and instead of an increase or even a reasonable supply for their support, they have been compelled to live on half and two-thirds rations, and received nothing for the surrender of their lands, neither has the government given any positive assurance that they intend to do any differently with them in the future. Congress has been in session several weeks and could, if it were disposed, in a few hours confirm the treaties that its commissioners have made with these Indians and appropriate the necessary funds fo its fulfillment, and thereby give an earnest of their good faith or intention to fulfill their part of the compact. Such action, in my judgment, is essential to restore confidence with the Indians and give peace and protection to the settlements. If this be done, and the President authorized to place the turbulent and dangerous tribes of Indians under the control of the military, Congress need not enter in details, but can safely trust the military authorities to subjugate and govern, and in the near future make self-sustaining, any or all of the Indian tribes of this country.

6 Source Information Impact of Subtext or Context on the Information provided by the source Source A: E.B. Reynolds, Special United States Indian Agent Rosebud, South Source B: From the Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1891 Source C: Telegrams from D.F. Royer, Indian Agent, Pine Ridge South Source D: Telegram sent by General Nelson A. Miles, Commander of the Pine Ridge Source E: Reports forwarded by Brigadier-General Ruger, Commander of the Department of the s Source F: V.T. McGillicuddy, Former Indian Agent at the Pine Ridge Indian Notes:

7 They kept up dancing until fully 100 persons were lying unconscious. : Wounded Knee Read the following and: 1. Circle information that helps you to understand the context (time period the source was created). 2. Underline information that helps you to understand the subtext (information about the author/author s purpose for creating the source) 3. Take notes (to the left of the source) on what the source indicates why if the participants in the Chinese Cultural Revolution willing participants or blind followers? Source E: Reports forwarded by Brigadier-General Ruger, commanding Department of Background Information: A veteran of the American Civil War, Ruger was serving as Commander of the Territory in 1890, and was asked by the President to visit and report on the Ghost Dance. The commanding officer at Fort Yates, North, under date o December 7, 1890, at the time the Messiah delusion was approaching a climax, says, in reference to the disaffection of the Sioux Indians at Standing Rock agency, that it is due to the following causes: (2) Failure of the government to expend a just proportion of the money received from the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad company, for right of way privileges, for the benefit of the Indians of sai agency. (4) Failure of the government to provide the full allowance of seeds and agricultural implements to Indians engaged in farming, as required in article 8, treaty of (5) Failure of the government to issue to such Indians the full number of cows and oxen provided in article 10, treaty of (7) Failure of the government to issue to the Indians the full ratio stipulated in article 5, treaty of Although the obligations of the government extend no further than furnishing so much of the ration prescribed in article 5 as may be necessary for the support of the Indian it would seem that, owing to the almost total failure of crops upon the Standing Rock reservation for the past four years, and the absence of game, the necessity for the issue of the full ration to the Indians here wa never greater than at the present time-december, 1890.) (9) Failure of the government to have the clothing and other annuity supplies ready for issue on the first day of August of each year. Such supplies have not been ready for issue to the Indians, as a rule, un the winter season is well advanced. (10) Failure of the government to appropriate money for the payment of the Indians for the ponies taken from them, by the authority of the government, in In conclusion, the commanding officer says: "It, however, appears from the foregoing, that the government has failed to fulfill its obligations, and in order to render the Indians law-abiding, peaceful, contented, and prosperous it is strongly recommended that the treaties be promptly and fully carried out, and that the promises made by the commission in 1889 be faithfully kept." Source Information Impact of Subtext or Context on the

8 Source A: E.B. Reynolds, Special United States Indian Agent Rosebud, South Source B: From the Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1891 Information provided by the source Source C: Telegrams from D.F. Royer, Indian Agent, Pine Ridge South Source D: Telegram sent by General Nelson A. Miles, Commander of the Pine Ridge Source E: Reports forwarded by Brigadier-General Ruger, Commander of the Department of the s Source F: V.T. McGillicuddy, Former Indian Agent at the Pine Ridge Indian Notes:

9 They kept up dancing until fully 100 persons were lying unconscious. : Wounded Knee Read the following and: 4. Circle information that helps you to understand the context (time period the source was created). 5. Underline information that helps you to understand the subtext (information about the author/author s purpose for creating the source) 6. Take notes (to the left of the source) on what the source indicates why if the participants in the Chinese Cultural Revolution willing participants or blind followers? Source F: V. T McGillicuddy, former Agent at the Pine Ridge Background Information: Valentine McGillicuddy arrived in the Territory in 1875 as Chief Topographer for the survey of the Black Hills and he remained there as Indian Agent at the Pine Ridge Agency ( ). During his time at Pine Ridge, he developed a strongly mixed relationship with the Indians under his charge, with the Oglala leader Red Cloud becoming a particularly bitter opponent. Red Cloud lobbied Washington to have McGillicuddy removed for alleged fraud and mismanagement of funds, eventually badgering Pres. Cleveland into replacing McGillicuddy. In 1890, when the Ghost Dance began to sweep the northern Plains, the governor of South called upon McGillicuddy to return to Pine Ridge. Sensing the danger of the situation, he corresponded with everyone from the governor to the Indian Rights Association to the President seeking a way to calm the tensions. Pres. Harrison refused to appoint McGillicuddy to mediate with the Indians-- refusing to allow McGillicuddy to step in. In answer to your inquiry of a recent date, I would state that in my opinion to no one cause can be attributed the recent so-called outbreak on the part of the Sioux, but rather to a combination of causes gradually cumulative in their effect and dating back to the inauguration of our faulty Indian policy. There can be no doubt that many of the treaties, agreements, or solemn promises made by our government with these Indians have been broken There is back of all this the natural race antagonism which our dealings with the aborigine in connection with the inevitable march of civilization have in no degree lessened By the fortunes of political war, weak agents were placed in charge of some of the agencies at the very time that trouble was known to be brewing. Noticeably was this so at Pine Ridge, were a notoriously weak and unfit man was placed in charge As for the ghost dance, too much attention has been paid to it. It was only the symptom or surface indication of deep rooted, long-existing difficulty

10 Source Information Impact of Subtext or Context on the Information provided by the source Source A: E.B. Reynolds, Special United States Indian Agent Rosebud, South Source B: From the Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1891 Source C: Telegrams from D.F. Royer, Indian Agent, Pine Ridge South Source D: Telegram sent by General Nelson A. Miles, Commander of the Pine Ridge Source E: Reports forwarded by Brigadier-General Ruger, Commander of the Department of the s Source F: V.T. McGillicuddy, Former Indian Agent at the Pine Ridge Indian Notes:

11 They kept up dancing until fully 100 persons were lying unconscious. : Wounded Knee Read the following and: 1. Circle information that helps you to understand the context (time period the source was created). 2. Underline information that helps you to understand the subtext (information about the author/author s purpose for creating the source) 3. Take notes (to the left of the source) on what the source indicates why if the participants in the Chinese Cultural Revolution willing participants or blind followers? Source B: From the Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1891, volume 1, pages Extracts from verbatim stenographic report of council held by delegations of Sioux with Commissioner of Indian Affairs, at Washington, February 11, Background Information: The Annual reports of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs described the interactions between the American Indian tribes and the federal government. The reports were presented to the United States Congress that utilized the information as the basis to approve or reject funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. TURNING HAWK. When the guns were thus taken and the men thus separated, there was a crazy man, a young man of very bad influence (Black Coyote, potentially deaf-mute son of Sitting Bull) and in fact a nobody, among that bunch of Indians fired hi gun, and of course the firing of a gun must have been the breaking of a military rule of some sort, because immediately th soldiers returned fire and indiscriminate killing followed. SPOTTED HORSE. This man shot an officer in the army; the first shot killed this officer. I was a voluntary scout at that encounter and I saw exactly what was done, and that was what I noticed; that the first shot killed an officer. As soon as this shot was fired the Indians immediately began drawing their knives, and they were exhorted from all sides to desist, but this was not obeyed. Consequently the firing began immediately on the part o the soldiers. AMERICAN HORSE. The men were separated, as has already been said, from the women, and they were surrounded b the soldiers. Then came next the village of the Indians and that was entirely surrounded by the soldiers also. When the firing began, of course the people who were standing immediately around the young man who fired the first shot were killed right together, and then they turned their guns, Hotchkiss guns, etc., upon the women who were in the lodges standing there under a flag of truce, and of course as soon as they were fired upon they fled, the men fleeing in one direction and the women running in two different directions. So that there were three general directions in which they took flight.

12 Source Information Impact of Subtext or Context on the Information provided by the source Source A: E.B. Reynolds, Special United States Indian Agent Rosebud, South Source B: From the Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1891 Source C: Telegrams from D.F. Royer, Indian Agent, Pine Ridge South Source D: Telegram sent by General Nelson A. Miles, Commander of the Pine Ridge Source E: Reports forwarded by Brigadier-General Ruger, Commander of the Department of the s Source F: V.T. McGillicuddy, Former Indian Agent at the Pine Ridge Indian Notes: