Sitting Bull Speaks

Reviews

“Sitting Bull is arguably one of the best-known Native American leaders, and his life has been extensively documented. In Sitting Bull Speaks, Brad Lookingbill doesn’t aim to retell these familiar stories. Instead, he allows Sitting Bull to speak for himself. Drawing from various archives and sources, the book weaves a compelling and well-researched narrative centered on Sitting Bull’s own words and thoughts. Lookingbill introduces each document with thoughtful commentary, guiding the reader through the historical context. Though the title Sitting Bull Speaks echoes that of Neihardt’s classic Black Elk Speaks, this work goes further by presenting an authentic account of Sitting Bull’s voice. It offers a deeper understanding not only of the man himself but also of the Lakota world in which he lived.”

—Rani-Henrik Andersson, University of Helsinki

“Sitting Bull Speaks gives students the opportunity to look for the man behind the myths by reading his own words, and words attributed to him. Introduced by a concise overview of the Lakota leader’s life and times, and with contextual headnotes throughout, it is ideally suited for use in the classroom.”

—Colin G. Calloway, Dartmouth College

“Sitting Bull Speaks reflects the life and history of its main character, a Native leader with an inspirational voice who defended his people’s independence and culture. . . .This is an accurate, readable, and valuable addition to the literature on Sitting Bull and the Lakota. It helps bring Sitting Bull’s story to life, employs sources that will be unknown to most American students, and will be a useful addition to the books available for use in American history and Native American history courses. This is a book that I could adopt and use when I next teach the second half of the U.S. history survey.”

—Jeff Bremer, Iowa State University

About the Author

Brad D. Lookingbill is Distinguished Professor of History, Columbia College.