Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation - Sitting Bull's Possible Grave

Sitting Bull's Possible Grave

Some Dakota Indians from Manitoba claim that chief Sitting Bull is buried in the Turtle Mountains. They claim on the Canadian side. According to Gordon Wasteste who was 84 when interviewed in 2007, his family included chiefs who were rulers of the Turtle Mountains. He also claimed one of his ancestors actually witnessed the assassination of Sitting Bull, in December 1890. What is unusual about Wasteste's claims, is his recolletion that the Dakota owned the Turtle Mountains which we know is wrong.

After the 1862 Minnesota Indian War, the United States sent 1,000s of their soldiers into central North Dakota, to pursue and battle the Indians who fled from near the White Earth Reservation region. A series of battles were fought in which over 1,000 Indians were killed. The first one was the Battle of Big Mound, while the last was the Battle of the Badlands. The battles are considered to have been a part of the 1862 Minnesota Indian War. Sitting Bull probably participated in all of the battles.

According to Gordon Wasteste, his ancestors had to approve of any burials within the Turtle Mountains, even for such an iconic figure as chief Sitting Bull. It does not add up! Supposedly some warriors secretly unburied Sitting Bull at his second resting place and placed his remains on a travois and commenced the journey to the Turtle Mountains. Wasteste said Sitting Bull was relocated to be buried in the Turtle Mountains so white grave robbers could not steal his remains. This evidence reeks of a cover-up. So chief Sitting Bull is buried in the Chippewa's Turtle Mountains?

Most likely Sitting Bull was born near the Turtle Mountains and Anishinaabe. Ogima Sitting Bull told General Terry that he was born and raised among the Red River Half-Breeds, which strongly suggests he was in fact Anishinaabe. The Chippewa's of Turtle Mountain will agree, unless, they will side with the whites who Sitting Bull called "Liars." Ogima Sitting Bull opened up his speech to Terry, by saying "For 64 years you have kept us and treated us bad." He may have been recalling a past treaty which ended a conflict around 1813. He may have been recalling the War of 1812 and a treaty the whites refused to honor.

Ogima Sitting Bull was not the only Indian leader to speak to the whites on October 17, 1877. Others also spoke to the white military leaders. Each one specifically told the whites "you have treated us bad for the past 64 years." That be since 1813 or during the War of 1812. Each one also told the whites that they had been driven out of their original country and that the people they fled to, treated them very well. One of the Indian leaders told the whites that there were 7 different tribes of us and you whites promised to take care of us when we were over there. All were speaking of a location to the east.

The 7 tribes spoken of could be the Seven Nations of Canada who lived along the St. Lawrence River, to the northern shores of Lake Huron. Today, the Iroquois have largely drawn a blank about the Wabanaki Confederacy which is the Seven Nations of Canada. Of course, the eastern Anishinabe people followed the Seven Fires Prophecy and migrated to the west. In the Montana region they are probably the non recognized Swan Creek and Black River Chippewa's who originally lived in southeastern Michigan and southern Ontario, west of Lake Huron.

They likely commenced the westward migration near the Montreal region which is as far north as Billings, Montana, around the War of 1812 time period. On the way other Ojibwa's from further south joined them. The whites were already established in the north of Ohio at the time, and the logical choice for the Ojibwa's was to migrate to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where they joined with other Ojibwa's and migrated across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, then to Wisconsin. From there, they migrated westward to Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, then to Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Not all Ojibwa's left however.

They also told the whites that they like these people and intend to live with them. Of course, these people being the natives of northern Montana and Alberta and Saskatchewan. The whites had yet to colonize those locations in 1877. These people give us plenty to eat was another response by yet another Indian leader. All Indian leaders called the whites liars on October 17, 1877 and went so far as to tell the whites that is why they were holding negotiations with them or to tell lies to them.

This treaty negotiation was held at Fort Walsh, Saskatchewan on October 17, 1877. Ogima Sitting Bull was still independent and living in northern Montana and Alberta and Saskatchewan, at the time. Fort Walsh was built in 1875 and is located in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan, about 5 miles from Alberta, and about 70 miles to the north of present day Havre, Montana, and 85 miles directly north of the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation.