A prominent South Dakota Native American was Red

Cloud (Mahpiya – Luta). He was born in 1822 near the Platte

River, which is now present-day North Platte, Nebraska. He

was a part of the Oglala Tribe, which was the largest known

tribe in the Sioux division at the time. Then perhaps, became

the most important field leader commander between the

Sioux and Cheyenne.

His mother was Oglala and his father, who died in his early youth, was a Brulé Red

Cloud. He was raised in the household by his uncle, Chief Smoke. Later, Red Cloud married

Pretty Owl, who he was married to for 50 years and had six children with her.

Most of Red Clouds life was spent at war. His bravery, intelligence, and strength were

well known throughout the tribe which helped him gain a very large importance with the Lakota

nation. In 1866, the U.S. started constructing forts along the Bozeman Trail. As caravans of

miners and settlers began to cross their land, Red Cloud attacked the forts and defeated

Lieutenant Colonel William Fetterman's column of eighty men. This was Red Clouds most

successful wars fought by an Indian nation against the United States, causing the U.S.

government to agree to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 because his strategies were so

successful.

However, the peace did not last. In 1874, Custer’s Black Hills expedition brought war to

the northern plains, which meant the end of independent Indian nations. After the military

defeated the Lakota nation, Red Cloud continued to fight for his people in less raging ways than

war. Throughout the 1880’s, he struggled with getting the Pine Ridge reservation distributions of

food and supplies and the control of Indian police forces. He was able to get rid of the
reservation agent, which seemed to help get his people the resources they were needing. Red

Cloud fought for his people until the day he died in the year 1909, leaving behind his legacy

behind to his people who appreciate him most.

Photo & Information Sources:

PBS, New Perspectives on The West (2019). Red Cloud. Retrieved September 10, 2019

https://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/i_r/redcloud.htm.

Notes in class