Born in 1831 on the Grand River in current-day South Dakota, Sitting Bull was given the name Tatanka-Iyotanka. He first went to battle at the age of 14 in a raid on the Crow. As a young man, he became a leader in the Strong Heart warrior society. Highly regarded and respected for his bravery and insight, Sitting Bull became the head chief of the Lakota nation around 1868. In the many years to come, he was renowned as a fearless warrior that effectively held the tide of the US Army. His commitment to his religious beliefs made him a highly regarded holy man. He led the sun dance ceremony in response to prospectors and soon after the US Army invasion of the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota.

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At a gathering that included Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, Sitting Bull offered prayers and slashed his arms one hundred times as a sign of sacrifice to the Great Spirit. He had a vision that led to victory at the Little Big Horn River over General Custer. In 1877, he led his people across the border into Canada, beyond the reach of the US Army. Four years later, with the buffalo almost extinct and his people beginning to starve, Sitting Bull moved south to surrender. On July 19, 1881, his rifle was handed over to the commanding officer at Fort Buford.

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In 1885, Sitting Bull was allowed to join Buffalo Bill’s “Wild West Show” earning $50 a week. He stayed with the show for only four months, unable to tolerate white society any longer. Sitting Bull met Annie Oakley the year before and watched her snuff a candle with a rifle shot. He gave her the moccasins he wore at the Battle of Little Bighorn and the nickname Watanya Cicilla, Little Sure Shot. Anytime the great warrior chief would become petulant, Little Sure Shot would come to his tent and talk for a while and do her famous little jig before leaving to lift the spirits of Sitting Bull.  Returning to the reservation, Sitting Bull lived in a cabin on the Grand River, close to where he was born. He refused to give up the Lakota ways, living with his two wives and continuing to practice his religion instead of the Christian practices that were required by the reservation. On December 15, 1890, Sitting Bull was surrounded by 43 Indian police who had been ordered to bring him under arrest. In the gunfight that ensued, Sitting Bull was shot in the head. He is remembered as an inspirational leader, a great warrior with prophetic insight, a loving father, a gifted singer, and a man always friendly to others.

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(The Sitting Bull room is a suite that features 1 King size bed, 1 Queen Size sofa bed, 2 single lavatories, & a tub with shower.  All rooms have wired and wireless internet & individual heat/ac.-Facing North towards 5th Street)