Arnold Short Bull facts for kids
Arnold Short Bull (Lakota: Tȟatȟáŋka Ptéčela; c. 1845 – 1915) was a respected leader of the Brulé Lakota tribe. He played an important role in bringing the Ghost Dance movement to the Rosebud Reservation.
The Ghost Dance Movement
Arnold Short Bull was active in the Ghost Dance religious movement around 1890. He traveled with another Lakota leader, Kicking Bear, to Nevada. There, they met Wovoka, who was the leader of the Ghost Dance.
Short Bull and Kicking Bear helped bring the Ghost Dance to the Lakota people living on reservations in South Dakota. Short Bull became a key leader of the movement for the Brulé people at Rosebud Reservation. He taught a powerful vision of the Ghost Dance. He believed that if people performed the dance, the spirits of their ancestors would return. This would help bring back the old way of life for Native Americans. He thought the dance would make a promised land appear.
Short Bull also suggested that his followers focus on traditional ways. He encouraged them to sell new farming tools. This worried the authorities and settlers in the area. There were also incidents where Native Americans slaughtered livestock. This caused more concern among officials.
Short Bull once spoke to a large group of Brulé people. He told them they must perform the dance at Pass Creek. This special dance was to happen in November during the full moon. He said it would help bring the promised land sooner. Short Bull stressed how important this dance was. He told them not to stop for any reason. He believed that special powers would protect them, even if soldiers tried to stop the ritual. He said, "There may be soldiers surround you, but pay no attention to them, continue the dance."
After the famous leader Sitting Bull was killed, Short Bull was taken to Fort Sheridan, Illinois. He was held there for a time.
Later Life
Short Bull was released in 1891. He then joined Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show. He traveled to Europe several times with the show. Arnold Short Bull passed away in 1915. He died on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota.
Portraits of Short Bull
- Denver Public Library or by George Spencer, Minnesota Historical Society.
