A brave warrior, a holy man, a spiritual leader of his people, Sitting Bull was born around 1831 into the Hunkpapas, a small tribe of the Sioux confederacy. He was known as Hunkesni, meaning "slow" because as a boy he seemed to think carefully before he acted. He was part of a powerful, imperial, warrior society where protecting one's land and expanding one's territory was as much a way of life as hunting the buffalo.

At just 14 years of age, he showed great bravery "counting coup" (touching an armed enemy unscathed) in a fight against the Crow Indians. His father, who was named Sitting Bull, gave him a sacred bird shield and his own name, Tatanka Iyotake, Sitting Bull.

Sitting Bull's renown grew as a great leader in war and peace. He became a tribal war chief in 1857. Sitting Bull was described as a loyal friend, an honourable family man and a peacemaker. He demonstrated religious devotion and an uncanny ability to see the future. In 1869, several tribes decided to unite under one leader to deal with the repeated encroachment of American settlers on their land. The tribes elected Sitting Bull to lead them in their fight for sovereignty and freedom.

Sitting Bull was exceptionally skilled in the art of warfare. In the Battle of Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull led his people to their greatest victory against the U.S. Army, defeating U.S. war hero Colonel Custer and his battalion. The U.S. Army quickly launched a campaign to teach the Sioux a lesson. While some bands surrendered to the military occupation of their land, Sitting Bull, clinging to freedom, led his people into Canada in 1877. Over the next four years, conditions for Sitting Bull and his tribe grew worse. There was little to eat. Sitting Bull and his followers received no help from the Canadian government. Eventually they had no choice but to return to the United States and surrender.

It wasn't long before Sitting Bull, then settled on the Great Sioux Reservation, learned of the Ghost Dance, a new spiritual movement among the Plains Nations. The American authorities felt threatened by the holy practice, fearing it would lead to an uprising. Believing Sitting Bull would be the leader, the authorities sent police to arrest him. When Sitting Bull resisted, a short conflict erupted and the great leader and his young son were killed.

A new generation of Lakota from Standing Rock Reservation is ensuring that the great chief's ideals live on. They have named a college after him in Fort Yates, North Dakota. Sitting Bull College was one of the first tribal colleges to be established in the U.S. under the Tribally Controlled Community College Act. Ron McNeil, a descendent of Sitting Bull, is the president.