THREE PICTOGRAPHIC AUTOBIOGRAPHIES OF 

 SITTING BULL 



By M. W. STIRLING 



Chief, Bureau of American Ethnology 



(With 46 Plates) 



INTRODUCTION 



The name of Sitting Bull will probably always remain as the best 

 known of any American Indian. AVhether or not this preeminent place 

 is deserved, it is a fact that more has been printed about him than 

 any other Indian and his name has most intrigued the popular imagi- 

 nation. Part of this notoriety resulted from the fact that he was a 

 prominent and influential Indian during a crucial period in the 

 history of his tribe and partly from the fact that during the latter 

 years of his life he was exploited, both in this country and abroad, 

 in a manner calculated to bring his achievements in a highly colored 

 manner before the general public/ 



It is not the purpose of this introduction to outline the career of 

 Sitting Bull. This has been adequately done by a number of biogra- 

 phers, and the interested reader is referred to the attached selected 

 bibliography. 



There is no question concerning the fact that Sitting Bull was a 

 great man, in spite of the fact that many of his contemporaries at- 

 tempted to belittle his character. It is true, however, that the promi- 

 nence he later achieved in the popular mind was partly due to 

 circumstances which gave unusual publicity to his career. 



In view of his status with the government, Sitting Bull was always 

 reluctant to speak with white men regarding his personal adventures. 

 However, in keeping with the custom of his people, he was proud 

 of his war exploits and kept a careful record of them. 



^ In an luipublished manuscript on Sioux names by the famous scout and 

 interpreter, E. H. Allison, the author says of the Indian name of Sitting Bull, 

 Tatanka Yotanka ; "Sitting Bull's totem was a bull standing in a defiant attitude, 

 which clearly expressed the meaning of his name, 'The Bull in Possession,' 

 'The Conquering Bull,' 'The Bull of Occupation,' The Sitting Bull.' " 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol.97, No. 5 



