Sitting Bull's War: The Battle of Little Big Horn and the Fight for Buffalo and Freedom on the Plains

by Paul L. Hedren

The dramatic story of America's greatest Indian war told from perspective of the Lakotas and the Northern Cheyennes, as they fight for their way of life on the buffalo prairie.
In this deeply affecting account of America's greatest Indian war, readers are quickly immersed in the world of Lakotas and Northern Cheyennes and their struggle in the 1870s to retain their lives on the buffalo prairie. Those impassioned Northern Indians faced a succession of white invaders--railroaders, borderland surveyors, prospectors, and ultimately the United States Army.

In the best of days they turned back George Crook at the Rosebud and wiped out George Armstrong Custer at the Little Big Horn. But a dozen other clashes followed, and in the end these tradition-minded people could not endure the army's endless hounding. Some fled to Canada to a luring if momentary exile, but in the end one and all faced starvation, submission, and, for some, death.

Rallying the defense of this lifeway of old was Sitting Bull, legendary Hunkpapa Lakota spiritualist. He was supported throughout by Crazy Horse, Spotted Eagle, Big Road, Little Wolf, and a host of other kindred traditional chiefs and headmen who, in turn, rallied thousands of like-minded men, women, and children. And yet, but for momentary glory against Crook and Custer, this was a war that could not be won.

Award-winning author Paul L. Hedren was ten years in crafting this great American epic. Utilizing an array of Lakota and Cheyenne accounts, pictographic renderings, and original interviews, this is the story of a people intent only on adhering to a traditional life on the buffalo prairie. The narrative is broad and inclusive and a welcome addition to the canon of American Indian wars history.

Genres: History, Native Americans, Historical, Nonfiction

576 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2025

About the author

A native Minnesotan, Paul Hedren retired from the National Park Service in 2007 after nearly thirty-seven years as a park historian and superintendent at such storied places as Fort Laramie National Historic Site, Wyoming, the Golden Spike National Historic Site in Utah, and the Niobrara National Scenic River in Nebraska.

Paul is also a lifelong writer and the author of scores of scholarly and popular articles plus eleven books, with stories largely focusing on the Great Sioux War of 1876-77 and particularly that conflict’s subtleties and consequences. Paul’s won numerous writing awards including a Spur from the Western Writers of America, the Vivian Paladin Award from the Montana Historical Society, and the Herbert Schell Award from the South Dakota State Historical Society. In 2011 his book After Custer: Loss and Transformation in Sioux Country won a prestigious Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, and also the Sills Book Prize from the Custer Battlefield Historical & Museum Association.

Reviews

[Johanna Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long book but told from the POV of Sitting Bull and other indigenous Americans. Meticulously researched. Evoked much empathy for those who just wanted to roam the prairies, follow the Buffalo, and maintain cultural traditions.

[Donald Paulsrud · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well researched book. It is full of details about the Great Sioux War (Sitting Bull's War) from the Lakota and Cheyenne viewpoints but not so much about the White Man's point of view. It covers all the major fights (and a few not so major) including the Little Bighorn. My favorite part of the book was the last third or so that dealt with Sitting Bull's time in Canada and the events that lead to his eventual surrender. The author does tend to repeat himself from time to time but it doesn't distract from the story. It is a long book, but worth the read.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly I like reading about native Americans but this is so well written it gets 5 stars. Tells the story of events leading up to Custer’s demise from what was going on from Sitting Bull’s perspective and follows events afterwards.

[Shannon Heaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intricate account of a people's culture slowly dying out thanks to white greed through the disappearance of a way of life and through climate keeping natural food sources away. Gave important notes and brought out a population as individuals, not just as a group with one set of thoughts.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough and fascinating account of the "Indian wars" (or should we say the white man's wars?) told from the Indian (as the author calls Native Americans for reasons he explains). Well written, the daily life of the community and war and preparing for war vividly told.

[Ernest Spoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating account of the last days of the free Lakota. My mother's family was from South Dakota. I had a great-uncle who spoke Lakota...but never around me.

[Clint Fuchs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most detailed book I have read that tells the story from the Native American point of view. It does a very good job explaining in detail how the Indians suffered after the battle of the little big horn and were eventually driven onto the reservations due to facing starvation and constant Army campaigns. The author compiled many new Native American accounts that I havnt read before.
I gave it 4 stars because it could be a little bit of a tough read at times but if you want to learn about the Native American account of the time frame this is a must read.
This author’s passion and life studies are the American Indian wars and his books on the battle of the Powder River and Rosebud are must haves.