“Spotted Tail”

Born of a Tangle Hair (Cunka), a Blackfeet Sioux and Walks With The Pipe, A Brule woman, in 1823-24, he was first called Jumping Buffalo. Given a raccoon skin with a ringed tail as a good luck talisman, he acquired the name Sinte Galeska (Spotted Tail). When 15 on a scout venture against the Pawnees he fared poorly. Following a drunken orgy, he and others pledged themselves to never drink whiskey. He kept the faith. He was in the holdup of the mail wagon near Horse Creek where three men were killed. He was at but not a signer of the great Treaty of 1851 at Ft. Laramie. When in 1854, Lt. Grattan was killed at Conquering Bear’s camp near Ft. Laramie, he was a participant. In 1855, he tried to delay Harney at Ash Hollow, failing, the terrific death of many Indians followed. Harney demanded surrender of the mail robbers and in November, 1855, Spotted Tail, Red Leaf and Long Chin, singing their death songs, surrendered at Ft. Laramie to appease Harney.

His life then changed. Taken to Ft. Leavenworth, he saw the power and numbers of the white men. President Pierce pardoned them and he returned a chastened Indian determined to devote his life to bringing peace to his people. By 1868, he was a co-chief at Whetstone Agency on the

Missouri and killed Big Mouth there in October, 1869, in a quarrel over the whiskey trade. In 1870, he went to Washington with a delegation of leaders but played second fiddle to Red Cloud in the east.

He got his Agency moved out to the mouth of White Clay Creek on White River in 1871 and in 1874, it was moved to Beaver Creek in Nebraska, where its name was changed to Spotted Tail Agency, January 1, 1875. He led the talks with Black Hills Commission in 1875 and was appointed Head Chief at both Spotted Tail and Red Cloud Agencies and signed the 1876 Treaty giving up the Black Hills. In the winter of 1876-77, he talked Crazy Horse into surrendering.

That fall, he led his Agency to Ponca Creek on the Missouri but soon demanded its removal back to Rosebud Creek, its present location and a large house was built for him. He aided the Missionaries and teachers in their fields and sent his children to Carlisle Indian School but in a violent scene, took them back to the reservation and lost status thereby.

He and Crow Dog had been friendly but on August 5, 1881, in a Council, he was elected to lead a delegation to Washington, and started to ride home. Enroute he encountered Crow Dog, who was ostensibly working on his moccasin beside his wagon. As Spotted Tail road up, Crow Dog shot him off his horse. It was the ignominious end of a great, perhaps the greatest Brule Chieftain. He is buried in the Episcopal Cemetery north of the Agency he served well for over 12 years. All who know his record agree he was a remarkable man.

Todd County, St Francis Road 200 yards south of golf course at Rosebud