All about America: American Indians

Generations of children have played ''cowboys and indians,''using toy statues, toy guns and bow-and-arrow sets, war bonnets, and cowboy hats. Cowboys did have conflicts with the Indians, but the real battle for land was between soldiers and Indians.

Survivors of Sitting Bull's camp joined a chief named Big Foot . He led his band on a 100-mile(160-km) flight to the South, where the 7th Cavalry forced them to camp on Wounded Knee Creek . Four army machine guns were set up above the camp. On December 29, the soldiers ordered the Lakota to give up their guns. The camp exploded in violence, and 146 Indians lay dead in the snow.

Land taken from the Indians was often sold by the government to white settlers. Although some tribes were supposed to receive payment when the land was sold, they seldom saw much of the money.