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The federal government had passed an act that designated the entire Great Plains as one enormous reservation, or land set aside for Native American tribes.
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The government changed its policy and created treaties that defined sepcific boundaries for each tribe.
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Most of the Cheyenne, assuming they were under the protection of the U.S. government, had peacefully returned to Colorado's Sand Creek Reserve for the winter.
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The warrior Crazy Horse ambushed Captain William J. Fettersman and his company at Lodge Trail Ridge.
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The Sioux agreed to live on a reservation along tje Missouri River, was forced on the leaders of the Sioux in 1868.
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Colonel George A. Custer reported that the Black Hills had gold "from the grass roots down," a gold rush was on.
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The U.S. Army responded by herding the people of friendly tribes onto reservations whil opnening fire on all others.
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The Sioux and Cheyenne held a sun dance, during which Sitting Bull had a vision of soldiers and some Native Americans falling from their horses.
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Congress passed the Dawes Act aiming to "Americanize" the Native Americans. The act broke up the reservations and gave some of the reservation land to individual Native Americans-160 acres to each head of household and 80 acres to each unmarried adult.
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The Seventh Calvary-Custer's old regiment-rounded up about 350 starving and freezing Sioux and took them to a camp at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. The next day, the soldiers demanded that the Native Americans give up all their weapons. A shot was fired; from which side, it was not clear. The soldiers open fire with deadly cannon.
