Sitting Bull Finds a Friend in a White Woman

Sitting Bull called her Toya heya mani win (Woman Walking Ahead). In June of 1889, the widow, Catherine Weldon, a prominent artist and a member of the National Indian Defense Association, left her home in New York City to travel to the Standing Rock Reservation in the Dakota Territory to meet Sitting Bull and help him keep the United States government from taking Lakota land. Sitting Bull was unable to read or write in English and welcomed Weldon's help.


White Woman Befriending an Indian was Taboo
Her reputation as a prominent white woman from the east became tainted due to her relationship with Sitting Bull, but it did not matter to her. She cared more about the treatment of the Indians than she did of her reputation. Determined to save Sitting Bull and his land she fought aggressively against the government. She moved in with Sitting Bull and his three wives. During her time with him, she wrote letters on his behalf and painted four portraits of him. One portrait hung in his cabin and is now in the possession of the North Dakota Historical Society.

James McLaughlin, the Indian agent for the reservation, and Weldon continually argued over her support for the Lakota. McLaughlin wrote a letter to the Commissioners of Indian Affairs stating that Sitting Bull has become more rebellious and feels certain that it is due to the encouragement of Weldon. McLaughlin eventually forced her to leave the reservation.

Leaving the American West for a Normal Life
Weldon returned to New York. As she attempted to get back to her normal life, she could not stop thinking about Sitting Bull and the beautiful plains. She wrote McLaughlin asking him if she could return and promised that she would not live on the reservation, but live on its edge in a small town called Cannon Ball. Surprisingly, McLaughlin let her return with the understanding she cannot live on the reservation. In the spring of 1890, Weldon returned to the Midwest with her adolescent son, Christie.

Newspapers would refer to Weldon as Sitting Bull's "white squaw." How intimate their relationship became is unknown. However, Sitting Bull did ask her to marry him and she refused. It is no secret that Weldon felt compassion toward Sitting Bull and his people. She supplied money and goods to the Lakota to aide in their survivial.

Native Americans Find a New Religion
The Ghost Dance Movement was crossing the plains in the late 1800s, a new religion that brought hope to many tribes throughout the Midwest. Sitting Bull and several of his Lakota followers believed in the Ghost Dance, that it would resurrect the dead and reunite them with those who died. It promised a return to the old ways of life. Weldon was unaware of Sitting Bull's involvement in this new religion.

The United States government felt threatened by the movement, afraid it would cause another Indian upheaval. Kicking Bear, Lakota Holy Man, encouraged the making of the Ghost Dance Shirt. He said the shirt, made of buckskin and painted with "magic" symbols, would prevent bullets from penetrating the body.

Weldon told Sitting Bull and other Lakota leaders that the Ghost Dance would not resurrect the dead, nor would the shirts keep bullets from penetrating the flesh. Sitting Bull and the others ignored Weldon's words and no longer considered her a friend of the Lakota. In fact, one Lakota told her that tragedy would find her because of her disbelief in the Ghost Dance. Weldon broken by the mistrust the Lakota people now had for her left the reservation and went back to Cannon Ball. There she and her son prepared to go to Kansas City.

Life on the Prairie Turns to Tragedy
While visiting the Parkin ranch Weldon's son stepped on a rusty nail and died on the steamship Chaska. She wrote a letter to Sitting Bull and told him of her son's death. From Kansas City, she wrote Sitting Bull more letters, asking him to forgive her, but never heard from him. She learned that on December 15, 1890 forty Sioux police went to the Standing Rock Reservation to arrest Sitting Bull. During the arrest, a struggle took place and a shot was fired; the situation became chaotic, leaving Sitting Bull and many others dead.

Weldon not afraid to travel west alone, lived on an Indian reservation, and fight for the rights of Indians in the late 1800s made her a woman ahead of her time. The Indian name Sitting Bull gave her definitely suited her.

If you would like to read more about Catherine Weldon, check out Eileen Pollack’s book, Woman Walking Ahead: In search of Catherine Weldon and Sitting Bull. And to read more about the Ghost Dance of 1890 check out Rex Alan Smith’s book, Moon of Popping Trees.

To read more articles by Christine Musser on Native Americans go to Suite 101

Native Americans Tribes

It is unclear how many Native Americans were on the North American continent when Christopher Columbus arrived, but it is cleared that after the Europeans arrival thousands of Native Americans were killed or died from disease causing whole tribes to be wiped out. Today, only 500 plus tribes are federally recognized.

Definition of Federally-Recognized Tribes

According to the United States Department of Justice website "recognition 'is a legal term meaning that the recognizes a government-to-government relationship with a Tribe and that a Tribe exists politically in a domestic dependent nation status. Federally-recognized Tribes possess certain inherent powers of self-government and entitlement to certain federal benefits, services, and protections because of the special trust relationship'".

Native American Culture & Spiritualism

Culture and Spiritualism of the North American Indians varies with each tribe. 

Inuits/Eskimos located in Alaska has a culture that is reflective of northern Russian and the northern Scandinavian countries.

Their spiritual belief is people and animals have souls. According to the "Religious Tolerance" website "the tribe must follow a complex system of taboos to assure that animals will continue to make themselves available to the hunters. Many rituals and ceremonies are performed before and after hunting expeditions to assure hunting success."

The Inuits believe in an underwater Goddess who is part human and part fish. Her name is Sedna or Takanaluk. The Goddess watches over the sea mammals and makes sure the tribes follow the taboos as required. If the taboos are followed the sea mammals are released for hunting purposes.

There are also deities for each species of land animals. The deities are referred to as Keepers or Masters. 

The spiritual leader of the Inuits is called a Shaman or Angakut. The Angakut would give advice or heal the tribe members. He would also interpret the unseen. 

 

In the lower 48 tribes are broken down to Eastern Woodlands, Great Plains, Florida, Texas, Southwest, Great Basin, California, Northwest Plateau, and Northwest. Not all these tribes lived in tepees or wore feathers. However, they do all have a spiritual connection to the earth.


According to Gerald McMaster's and Glifford Trafzer's Book, Native Universe: Voices of Indian America, "The history and cultures of many Indian peoples are more than facts and dates. They are beliefs and emotions, ways of thinking, ways of doing. History and culture are known through spoken words, the objects we used and the creations of the people."


Native Americans are diverse, especially in their languages. There is no such language as "Indian". At one time there were 300 Native American languages throughout North America. Today only 175 of those languages have survived.


(I am still working on this post, please bear with me. Thank you.)


Sources: 

1. "Religious Tolerance" Last modified January 13, 2008, http://www.religioustolerance.org/nataspir3.htm

2. "Native American Cultures" http://www.fourdir.com/chapter_3_native_american_cultures.htm
3. McMaster, Gerald, Trafzer, Clifford E. Native Universe: Voices of Indian America. National Geographic Publishes Illustrated History to Mark Museum Opening. 2004. ISBN: 9780792259947