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Primary sourceArtifactc. 1867 (recorded later)

Sitting Bull's Autobiographical Drawing: Fight with a Flathead

Sitting Bull · c. 1867 (recorded later)

A pencil drawing by Sitting Bull depicting himself on horseback fighting a Flathead warrior around 1867.

This is a drawing made by Sitting Bull himself, recording his own memory of a fight from his youth.

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Pencil-style line drawing in grey tones on a pale background showing a mounted rider on a spotted horse galloping to the right, with a figure on foot at left drawing a bow. The rider appears to be holding reins and a lance-like shaft; a bird-like shape appears above. Handwritten cursive label reads 'Sitting Bull' at top right.
Sitting Bull, autobiographical drawing of a fight with a Flathead, c. 1867.

About this source

What it is

This is an autobiographical drawing made by Sitting Bull himself, part of a pictographic record he created of his own life. It shows him mounted on his war horse fighting a Flathead (Salish) man on foot, an event he placed around 1867, when he said he was 36 years old. In the drawing, Sitting Bull is struck in the arm by an arrow while he wounds his opponent.

Why it matters

Ledger art like this was a Plains Indian tradition of recording personal deeds and history through pictures. This drawing is a rare case of Sitting Bull telling his own story in his own hand, rather than through the words of others, giving a direct window into how he remembered his own warrior life.

Look closer

  • What details in the drawing show who is winning the fight?
  • Why might Sitting Bull have chosen to record this particular moment from his life?
  • How is this different from the written accounts other people made about him?

This artifact 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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Handwritten manuscript page on lined paper, titled 'Articles of a Treaty' in ornate script, with an opening paragraph naming United States commissioners and Sioux Nation delegates, followed by 'Article I' below. The page is aged and yellowed with visible tears along the top and bottom edges.Document

Primary source

Fort Laramie Treaty

29 April 1868

Colored reproduction card labeled 'Chief Sitting Bull Sioux' showing a man in profile with long braids, two feathers in his hair, a red neckerchief, and a beaded vest with geometric and floral designs.Photograph

Primary source

Sitting Bull Portrait by William Notman

William Notman · 1885

Sepia-toned studio portrait of a man with a long braided hair, wearing a light patterned shirt and a feather headdress, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression against a plain backdrop.Photograph

Primary source

Chief Sitting Bull

David F. Barry · 1884

Black and white studio photograph of two men standing in front of a painted forest backdrop. On the left, a older man in a long feathered war bonnet and fringed, beaded buckskin clothing holds a rifle. On the right, a man in a wide-brimmed hat, embroidered jacket, and tall boots rests a hand on his chest.Photograph

Primary source

Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill

Wm. Notman & Son · 1885

Scanned page of the 1887 Act titled 'An Act to provide for the allotment of lands in severalty to Indians on the various reservations', headed 'Forty-Ninth Congress of the United States of America; At the Second Session', with handwritten marks and a 'Public No. 105' stamp.Document

Primary source

Dawes Act

Henry Dawes · 8 February 1887

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