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Primary sourcePhotograph1881-1882

Sitting Bull and Family at Fort Randall

Von Bern · 1881-1882

A family photograph of Sitting Bull with two wives, his daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandchild, taken at Fort Randall around 1882.

Shows Sitting Bull with multiple generations of his family during his time at Fort Randall.

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Sepia-toned studio portrait of six people posed in two rows against a plain backdrop. In the back row, an older woman with braided hair and a beaded necklace, a young woman with a plaid shawl, and a woman seated at right. In front, a seated man with a long braid, feather in his hair, and beaded leggings, an elderly woman seated at left with a cane, and a woman holding a small child at right.
Von Bern, Sitting Bull and family, Fort Randall, 1881-1882.

About this source

What it is

This sepia-toned studio photograph, taken by Von Bern around 1882, shows six people posed in two rows at Fort Randall. Text on the back of the original print identifies the group as four generations of Sitting Bull's family: Sitting Bull, two wives, their daughter, her daughter, and her baby, with individual names including Good Feather Woman, Walks Looking, Her Holy Door, Many Horses, and Courting a Woman.

Why it matters

This photograph is a rare image of Sitting Bull together with several female relatives across four generations, taken during the time his band was held at Fort Randall following their surrender. It offers a glimpse of Sitting Bull's family life beyond his public role as a leader and holy man.

Look closer

  • What can you tell about each person's role in the family from their clothing and position in the photograph?
  • Why do you think this photograph was taken and kept by the family?
  • What questions does the handwritten note on the back raise about how the photograph was passed down?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Sitting Bull (Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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