'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAILMSdP/xAAfEAABBAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQMEBRESAAYhIoH/2gAIAQEAAT8Ar5/Yu2VKyrK+luDLeJpRJwvTVds+F+Y45KHcsoSrnn//xAAVEQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQf/aAAgBAgEBPwCv/8QAFhEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFB/9oACAEDAQE/AIj/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The documentary series Sitting Bull revisits the life and legacy of one of the most prominent Native American leaders in U.S. history. The series explores the social, political, and cultural landscape in which Sitting Bull emerged as a key figure. It follows the historical events that defined his leadership and his resistance to American expansionism.
The series examines both public and lesser-known aspects of Bull's life. It presents his resistance to U.S. policies, his exile to Canada, his participation in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and the confrontation that led to his death.
As the leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota, he refused to sign land treaties, as documented in U.S. government records and historical reports. The documentary bases its story on these documented events, as per reports.
Trending
The two-part documentary series is set to premiere its first part tonight, May 27, 2025, at 9:00 PM ET on the History Channel. The second part will premiere the following night, May 28, 2025, at the same time.
The true story behind Sitting Bull explored
Sitting Bull was born around 1831 near the Grand River (present-day South Dakota). He belonged to the Hunkpapa clan of the Lakota Sioux tribe. According to National Archives records, he gained fame in the 1860s and refused to sign the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. This initially gave the Sioux control of the Black Hills, but was later violated after gold was found there.
According to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian, Bull had a vision during a Sun Dance ritual in 1876 that foretold the defeat of U.S. troops. This incident occurred just before the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where a coalition of Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors led by warriors like Crazy Horse defeated Lt. Col.
According to the 1881 annual report of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. intensified military pressure after this defeat. In May 1877, Bull and his followers fled to Canada to escape American forces. After four years in exile, short of food and lacking Canadian support, they surrendered at Fort Buford in 1881.
According to the same government report, he was first held at Fort Randall and then transferred to the Standing Rock Agency.
By the late 1890s, the emergence of the Ghost Dance movement alarmed U.S. authorities. According to a December 16, 1890, report in The New York Times, the police were sent to Bull's residence to arrest him. A gunfight broke out, and Sitting Bull died of a gunshot wound to the head. Several others were also killed in the incident.
What is the Sitting Bull all about? Explored
The documentary reconstructs events through archival documents, dramatic presentations, and expert commentary. According to PBS (2022), the series uses treaty documents, military records, and tribal oral traditions. Filming took place at historic sites such as Fort Buford, Standing Rock Reservation, and Little Bighorn Battlefield, ensuring visual accuracy.
Each episode of the series is arranged chronologically, covering different stages of Bull's life. This includes the early resistance, the Indian Wars, his time in exile, and the events leading up to his death.
According to the Library of Congress' Buffalo Bill Collection, Sitting Bull joined the Wild West Show in 1885 and received a weekly salary. He used this platform to give speeches in support of native rights.
The docu-series presents the story of a prominent Native American leader from a historically documented perspective. The series highlights his rise during one of America's most turbulent periods.
The first part of Sitting Bull will air tonight, May 27, 2025, on the History Channel.
