Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Page #3

they will stay.

That's what I'm telling you.

You must stay.

Morning, sir.

These Crow are from the camp

on the Poplar River.

They say they've seen your men

on their hunting ground.

Crow are liars

and they hate us.

They've always hated the Sioux.

They are liars!

There's another problem.

They're missing horses.

And they say it's your men who raided

their camp two nights ago.

I must ask that you allow them

to look in your corral.

Sir, I must report this.

And when I return next, it may be with

men to take you back across the border.

Who stole these ponies?

Who would see us die like slaves

on the reservation?

Who?

Who?!

You will see

how I deal with this thing.

- Please, don't do this.

- You must know that I did not know.

We cannot be sent back.

Enough!

Brother...

these men will fight

if they are stopped.

I can't let that happen.

Then leave... brother.

I won't stop you.

Elaine Goodale

was up the other day

to meet the Commissioner

of Indian Affairs.

She made quite an impression,

as you'd expect.

But I'm afraid you're gonna

have to outdo even her.

That would be impossible.

Remarkable

young woman.

And quite an ally

in our cause.

She completes

her teacher's training

and she'll be on the Sioux reservation

within months.

I know, sir, we've been

corresponding for some time.

Have you?

Have you indeed?

All right, let us begin.

Northern boundary

of the new Pine Ridge Reservation,

south fork of the Cheyenne River...

downstream to the mouth

of Battle Creek.

The Indian

must have full citizenship

and a deed in his hands

like any white man.

Assimilation, Charles,

or extinction.

Gentlemen, the plan we put before you

for the Sioux

will be a model for Indians

from the Pequot in Connecticut

to the Pomo in California.

Now, step one is the division

of Sioux land

into six distinct reservations...

Pine Ridge, Rosebud,

Cheyenne River,

Standing Rock, Crow Creek...

And then, due west

to the 102nd meridian.

Step two is the division

of each new reservation

into individual tracts.

160 acres to each man-

to farm, to feed his family,

to market his crops,

to earn a living.

Step three- thus apportioned,

excess lands will be sold

to white settlers.

The Sioux and the white man-

neighbors,

partners in business,

friends.

And with white settlement

of central Dakota, what follows?

The railroads, gentlemen.

Straight through

from Pierre to Rapid City,

rail service to the Black Hills mines.

And...

at long last,

the Northern Pacific

will see completion.

The Sioux will travel,

be exposed to white society,

and be influenced by it

as I was.

And finally, statehood

for the Dakotas,

representation,

governance, business.

With your vote on this bill,

gentlemen,

America will be built.

- Mr. Naylor of West Virginia.

- Nay.

- Mr. Allison of West Virginia.

- Aye.

All gentlemen accounted for.

The bill has passed.

Charles- Charles...

- Congratulations, sir.

- We did it. We did it.

This could never have happened

without your help.

Thank you.

Thank you, my boy.

These are the borders

of your reservation,

as set out in the Black Hills

Agreement of 1876.

Now once each parcel

is assigned,

you will have a great deal

of unused land.

When this land was first set aside,

you could not have sold that

for 10 cents an acre.

However...

the Great Council in Washington

has authorized me

to offer you

50 cents an acre.

Those excess lands

will yield you

$5 and a half million.

$5 and a half million that will go

right into your pocket

as these lands are sold to whites.

Your map does not show the land

we would be giving back to you.

Oh.

This area in red.

Now this offer

is only possible

because the Dakota Southern

would be able to lay rail

south of the Cheyenne River

into the Black Hills mines.

So you admit this land has no value

except to lay iron through?

No, I do not admit that.

These are not my words.

Chief Red Cloud?

I would like to know

what Chief Red Cloud has to say.

Do you believe this proposal

is in the best interest-

Every man is a chief here.

You wanted it so.

We do not need

to hear his words.

How will this money be paid?

For every acre of land

the government sells,

- the money is yours.

- The money is not ours, then,

until you sell the land

you have taken that is ours.

This land is not to farm.

This land is to graze,

and we do not eat grass.

If we are to take this chance

that the whites may be foolish enough

to make their home here,

then you must get us more

of this money that we may never see.

Come back

when you have done this.

Have you any notion

the efforts I have expended

on your behalf?

Do you have any idea?

I can't simply come back!

There'll be a new Congress.

A new Congress may not

authorize any offer at all.

Tunkashila,

hear my voice today.

Sitting Bull is a great leader

of the Lakota.

There is no greater.

Thank you

for letting us go, Father.

Keep me in your prayers.

Finally.

It arrived.

What is this?

Father, I'm a policeman.

Where's the person in charge?

I'll see him now.

I'll take you to him.

He's here, sir.

Yes, I know.

Good day, sir.

I'm James McLaughlin,

agent here at Standing Rock.

Let it be known that I,

Tatanka lyotaka, Sitting Bull,

was the last chief

to give up his rifle.

Now...

the Great Father

has sent me a letter

saying that if I came in,

I would be Big Chief

of this agency,

that you would build me

a fine house on a stream.

Do not give me ration tickets-

I will not touch them.

I will take all supplies

for all my people

and hand them out myself.

I will not put in crops.

Those things

that grow in the ground

my people and I

will gather wild,

as we always have.

Is this all

you wish to say, sir?

I have said all the words

I wish to say... for now.

I see.

First of all, the Great Father

sent no such letter to you.

You will not be a Big Chief,

a Medium-Sized Chief,

nor any sort of chief.

Here, you will be the same

as any other man.

That is to say, you will be given

materials and loaned men

to build a cabin.

You will have

a horse and wagon.

If you do not put in crops, you

will live on your bimonthly rations,

and if you do not accept

ration tickets,

you and your family

will either be beggars

or you will starve.

My clerk will add you

to the rolls.

And those are all

the words I wish to say.

Good day, sir.

Beans, one blanket.

Flour, one shawl,

seeds.

"Pawnee Killer. "

"Crow Killer. "

One blanket,

a suit of clothes,

medium-large.

Use your flour ration, Chief.

You'll fill it out

soon enough.

Coffee, two blankets, matches.

"Little Feather. "

One coat-

Sitting Bull.

Tatanka lyotaka,

they're calling your name.

Sitting Bull.

Never mind, moving on.

I'll accept his issue.

You can't do that,

Miss Goodale.

I was told by

the commissioner himself

that I may assist these people

in any way I see fit.

One blanket.

One blanket.

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