Spotted Tail
Spotted Tail, a prominent Brule Sioux chief, emerged as a significant figure in the 1870s, known for his leadership during pivotal conflicts and negotiations involving the Sioux people. His name originated from a raccoon tail gifted to him by a white trapper, which he regarded as a sacred object. Spotted Tail became a warrior in the wars against the Pawnee and later made headlines for his marriage, which led to a violent rivalry resulting in the death of another chief. He displayed bravery during the battle of Bluewater Creek in 1855, where he fought to protect women and children, ultimately surrendering to U.S. forces.
Throughout his life, Spotted Tail was an advocate for the Sioux, famously chastising President Ulysses S. Grant for failing to uphold the Laramie Treaty during a visit to Washington. His efforts were crucial in negotiating the surrender of hostile Sioux bands in the late 1870s and addressing the social and economic needs of the Brule people. In a tragic turn, he was assassinated in 1881 by a political rival, Crow Dog, an event that led to a landmark Supreme Court case regarding jurisdiction on Indian reservations. Spotted Tail's legacy is intertwined with the struggles and resilience of the Sioux people during a tumultuous period in American history.
Subject Terms
Spotted Tail
- Born: c. 1823 or 1824
- Birthplace: Near present-day Pine Ridge, South Dakota
- Died: August 5, 1881
- Place of death: Rosebud, South Dakota
Tribal affiliation: Brule Sioux
Significance: After a youth spent fighting whites, Spotted Tail came to advocate peace; he is widely considered one of the greatest Sioux leaders
The name Spotted Tail is a result of a raccoon tail given to him while a young man by a white trapper. He wore this as a sacred object in his first battles, and after surviving, he took the name Spotted Tail.
Spotted Tail grew to be a warrior during wars with the Pawnee. In 1841, he selected a Brule girl for a wife who was also being courted by Running Bear (Mato Wakuwa), a Brule chief. They quarrelled; Spotted Tail killed the chief and took the girl as his first wife. She bore him thirteen children.
At the September, 1855, battle of Bluewater Creek near modern Oshkosh, Nebraska, a severely wounded Spotted Tail fought a delaying action against advancing cavalry to allow the escape of women and children. Soon after, Spotted Tail was branded a murderer and his surrender demanded as a precondition to peace. On October 18, 1855, Spotted Tail surrendered to General W. S. Harney at Fort Laramie, Wyoming. While a prisoner of war at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Spotted Tail came to realize that the number and power of whites was indeed frightening.
In 1870, Spotted Tail and Red Cloud were invited to Washington to confer with President Ulysses S. Grant and other officials. While there, Spotted Tail did not lose the opportunity to scold the president over his failure to comply with the Laramie Treaty of 1868.
Throughout the plains war of 1876-1877, Spotted Tail remained the most popular spokesman of the Sioux people. In 1877, he was responsible for negotiating the final surrender of hostile Sioux bands at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. It was to Spotted Tail’s camp at Rosebud, South Dakota, that his nephew Crazy Horse fled to avoid confrontation and arrest by General Crook.
Spotted Tail’s last years were spent in advocating Brule social and economic needs. In June, 1880, he raided the Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Indian school and removed several Brule children, returning them to their parents in South Dakota. On August 5, 1881, Spotted Tail was shot and killed by Crow Dog, a political opponent. The Little Missouri Sioux winter count (record) for that year said, “This year that brave and wonderful chief was killed by Crow Dog.” The Dakota court sentenced Crow Dog to hang. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, however (Ex parte Crow Dog 1883), and the Court concluded that state courts have no jurisdiction on Indian reservations. Crow Dog was released.