Sioux/Black Hills

Dick Shovel, Ltd. (jsd@infi.net)
Fri, 11 Nov 1994 18:13:00 EST


I started reading Black Hills, White Justice, The Sioux Nation
Versus The United States - 1775 To The Present, ISBN 0-06-016557-X for one
reason: to attempt to gain a more specific legal perspective re the Black
Hills claim. However, right off the bat another issue cropped up. Namely,
the assertion that the Sioux "discovered" Paha Sapa in the 1700's - being
driven from points farther East by Native enemies.

Up until this moment I, in ignorance (?), assumed that the Lakota
were inhabitants of this area for a much longer period.

BH,WJ (Black Hills, White Justice) alleges that one, Standing Bull,
"discovered" Paha Sapa in the 1700's and that the "next Sioux generation
secured the Hills, expelling the Kiowa in 1814. A few years later they
pushed this border even further west, taking the Powder River country
(eastern Wyoming and part of Montana) from the Crow." If this is accurate
we're talkin "securement" and loss (to Wasichu) within one century.

No specific source is listed for the above so I'm not able to check
it out. I will say that resources presently at hand corroborate the BHWJ
assertion.

Any clarification regarding the above will be much appreciated.

Peace...Jordan