Standing Rock Sioux Tribe 
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is part of the Great Sioux Nation with the Hunkpapa and Blackfeet bands. The Great Sioux Nation retains land base in accordance with the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. The Great Sioux Nation was reduced in the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty to the east side of the Missouri River and the state line of South Dakota and North Dakota.
The Black Hills are located in the center of the Great Sioux Nation. The Black Hills are sacred to the Lakota/Dakota people. The Black Hills are an important part of our spiritual lives today. The fight over the Black Hills was caused by a direct violation of the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty which was committed in 1874 by General George A. Custer and the 7th Calvary. The 7th Cavalry entered Black Hills (the center of the Great Sioux Nation) and found gold in the Black Hills. The Gold Rush started the conflict between the United States and Great Sioux Nation. The Great Sioux Nation opposed this violation of the treaty. The United State Government wanted to buy or "rent" the Black Hills from the Lakota people. The Great Sioux Nation refused to sell or rent their sacred lands. The U.S. Government with the Agreement of 1876, took the sacred Black Hills and enceded lands from the Lakota people.
Sitting Bull was a spiritual leader of the Hunkpapa band. Sitting Bull fought to preserve the Lakota way of life. According to history (oral and written) Sitting Bull refused to sell any part of the sacred land and move to the reservation. Sitting Bull had a dream of a great victory over the cavalry soldiers the summer of 1876. The 7th Cavalry under General George A. Custer was requested to bring the Sioux Bands in and place them on the reservation lands. On June 25, 1876, the Battle of the Little Big Horn between the 7th Cavalry and Lakota Nation with their allies Cheyenne and Orifice at Greasy Grass, Montana took place. The Sioux Nation won a victory over General George A. Custer and his 7th cavalry.
The Great Sioux Nation scattered, some to Canada and others surrendered to the reservations. The United States Government demanded that the Lakota Nation move the reservations. The Act of 1889 broke up the Great Sioux Nation to smaller reservations of which two million acres formed the Standing Rock Reservation. The Yanktonias and Cuthead lived on the North Dakota side. The Hunkpapa and Blackfeet lived on the South Dakota side of the reservations. Sitting Bull objected to the reduction of the land and fought to preserve their way of life. Major James McLaughlin, Indian Agent for the Standing Rock Reservation, ordered the arrest of Sitting Bull for participating in the Ghost Dance. In the process of the arrest Sitting Bull was shot by Indian Police on December 15, 1890. The Hunkpapa who lived in Sitting Bull's camp fled to the south to Big Foot Band at Cherry Creek. They traveled south to the Pine Ridge reservation to meet with Chief Red Cloud.
The 7th Cavalry caught them at a place called Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890. The 7th Cavalry took all the weapons from the Lakota people. The 7th Cavalry massacred 300 people at Wounded Knee and left the bodies to freeze in the snow. The people of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe slowly recovered from this injustice and continued to survive in their homeland. The people on Standing Rock are alive with history of the past and present. They are relatives to the great chiefs of all times;
In 1986, Birgil Kills Crow set out to carry out his vision of "riding a black horse across the plains" to honor and initiate a WIPING AWAY OF TEARS CEREMONY for all those that lost their lives in this massacre. The ride took place in the mid-December, with temperatures dropping 50-60 degrees below zero wind chill factor, beginning with Sitting Bulls home site at Standing Rock. The ride eventually grew to over 500 participants on horseback, and support crews following the riders, or went ahead to pitch camp for the day's ride. It took two weeks and 250 miles, of prayer, fasting, and wiping away the tears of those who lost relatives in the massacre. Arvol Looking Horse, the Keeper of the Pipe, also played a Huge role in encouraging the riders and crews with prayer and songs. For more info do a web search on Yahoo. COM for the "Ride to Wounded Knee".