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Why did Sitting Bull eventually surrender to the United States?
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Oceti Sakowin
A member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe performing during the Grand Entry at the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Fair Rodeo and Powwow, Eagle Butte, South Dakota, September 4, 2016.
Sitting Bull and his followers were ultimately forced to surrender to the United States due to widespread famine.1
While the Oceti Sakowin achieved significant military victories against the U.S. Army, such as at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, they could not sustain a long-term war effort. Their survival was deeply tied to the buffalo, which were rapidly becoming extinct due to the encroachment of settlers.1
Following these pressures, Sitting Bull led his followers into Canada in 1877. However, the Canadian government refused to provide food for a people whose reservation was located south of the border. After four years of dwindling resources and increasing hardship, famine left Sitting Bull with no choice but to surrender.1