Native American Heroism

489163d3-1f7a-4bc5-9623-49010f3ab5da.jpg

Portrait of Hunkpapa Lakota Leader Sitting Bull, 1885.

Although not all Indigenous cultures carry a military tradition, others such as the Hunkpapa Lakota, led by Sitting Bull in the nineteenth century, have fought for their people and others in need. Sitting Bull once said, “The warrior, for us, is one who sacrifices himself for the good of others.”, and the warriors we will examine in this exhibit perfectly embody Sitting Bull’s statement. The Native American heroes you’ve seen on TV aren’t a good representation and paint a false image.

Our goal is to show a new perspective of heroism, one that most are not aware of. Throughout this exhibit, we will explore different examples of heroism from three different time periods, the colonial period, World Wars I and II, and finally the modern era. From these three eras, we will be able to see how the warrior spirit has remained strong even through the most trying moments in North American Indian history.

Native American Heroism