You won’t find evidence of Sitting Bull’s hidden treasure in historical records, but there’s a different mystery worth your attention. The legendary Hunkpapa Lakota chief’s remains became the subject of a clandestine midnight exhumation in 1953, when Clarence Grey Eagle’s group moved them from Fort Yates to Mobridge, South Dakota. Curator Robert Hollow later concluded they likely took the wrong body, and without DNA confirmation, both burial sites now claim authenticity—creating competing pilgrimage destinations that continue sparking controversy over where the spiritual leader truly rests.
Key Takeaways
- No historical evidence suggests Sitting Bull buried treasure; legends may confuse his spiritual legacy with material wealth narratives.
- Sitting Bull’s true “treasure” was his spiritual leadership and prophetic visions that united the Lakota people during conflicts.
- The mystery surrounding his burial locations in Fort Yates and Mobridge fuels speculation but relates to remains, not treasure.
- Clandestine 1953 grave relocation and concrete encasement created intrigue that may inspire treasure myths despite no factual basis.
- Confusion about hidden treasure possibly stems from general Native American folklore rather than specific Sitting Bull historical accounts.
The Spiritual Leader Who Defied an Empire
Destiny shaped Sitting Bull’s path from his earliest days near the Grand River in South Dakota, where he was born circa 1831 into a prominent Hunkpapa Lakota family. His father Jumping Bull instilled unwavering spirituality through daily sunrise prayers, while traditional sundance rituals became central to his leadership.
You’ll find his prophetic power demonstrated in March 1876, when he slashed his arms 100 times during a Sun Dance and received spiritual visions of soldiers falling into camp “like grasshoppers from sky.” This prophecy materialized at Little Bighorn, where he served as spiritual leader rather than military commander. His warrior credentials were established early when he joined his first raid against the Crow in June 1845, marking his initial encounter with the conflicts that would define his life. Rising through the ranks, he became a sash wearer in the prestigious Strong Heart warrior society, demonstrating his commitment to protecting his people.
Death and the First Burial at Fort Yates
While Sitting Bull’s spiritual visions had prophesied soldiers falling from the sky, his own death came at the hands of fellow Lakota on December 15, 1890. Standing Rock Indian police killed him during an arrest attempt, fearing his influence over Ghost Dance followers.
Authorities quickly buried him at Fort Yates Military Cemetery without ceremony, establishing what’d become a contested site. Between 1890 and 1900, mysterious gravesite desecrations occurred six times, with Rock Creek residents claiming officials secretly moved his remains to an unmarked grave. This sparked competing historical narratives about where Sitting Bull truly rests. The original burial ground is marked at coordinates 46.0892968, -100.6340706.
Today, you’ll find a small monument at 9299 ND-24 in Fort Yates, though many question whether the Hunkpapa leader’s bones ever remained there—a controversy intensifying after bone testing revealed female remains. The burial site commemorates Sitting Bull’s role as a key figure in Native American resistance during the Great Sioux War of 1876-77.
Midnight Move to Mobridge Under Cover of Snow
Under cover of snow on the midnight of April 8, 1953, Clarence Grey Eagle—son of one of the Indian police who’d arrested Sitting Bull—led a clandestine group of Mobridge businessmen across the North Dakota border to exhume remains from Fort Yates.
This underground transfer of remains followed Bureau of Indian Affairs guidance stating descendants determine final burial sites. The Mobridge relocation details reveal strategic execution:
- Sitting Bull descendants, including Nancy Kicking Bear, approved the move beforehand
- Snow concealment aided the surreptitious cross-state operation
- Remains were reburied on a hilltop palisade overlooking Missouri River
- Korczak Ziolkowski’s memorial bust was dedicated five months later in September 1953
You’ll find Ziolkowski himself boycotted the dedication, citing political exploitation of the relocation—a prescient concern about controlling this Lakota leader’s legacy. Chief Sitting Bull, a Hunkpapa Teton Sioux spiritual leader, had organized resistance against US expansion before his death by Indian police in 1890. The memorial site, located 10 minutes south of Mobridge across the Missouri River, offers a magnificent view from its elevated position.
Whispers of Secret Exhumations and Substituted Remains
The 1953 midnight raid soon unraveled under scrutiny from historians who questioned whether the Mobridge group had actually retrieved Sitting Bull’s remains. Robert Hollow, curator for North Dakota’s State Historical Society, concluded in 1984 that they’d likely taken the wrong body.
His research revealed that Sitting Bull’s bones were reburied in a box inside a coffin at Fort Yates in 1932, yet the raiders “dug up loose bones” without any coffin. When another coffin and bones surfaced at Fort Yates in 1962, matching the 1932 reburial descriptions, competing authentication claims intensified.
Despite the raiders’ confidence, unresolved identity verifications persist—no DNA analysis ever confirmed which remains, if any, truly belonged to the legendary chief. Years earlier, rumors had circulated that quicklime was added to Sitting Bull’s coffin, potentially accelerating decomposition and further complicating identification efforts. Meanwhile, the bones taken to South Dakota were encased in 20 tons of concrete in Mobridge, making any future examination virtually impossible.
Competing Claims Over the Final Resting Place
Following Sitting Bull‘s death on December 15, 1890, along the Grand River in western Standing Rock, military authorities buried him in an Army-made coffin at Fort Yates Military Cemetery—the tribal headquarters of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in Sioux County, North Dakota. However, contested lineage questions emerged when descendants orchestrated a clandestine 1953 relocation to Mobridge, South Dakota.
The repatriation disputes center on several key factors:
- Clarence Grey Eagle, whose father arrested Sitting Bull, led the relocation team with Mobridge businessmen backing
- Bureau of Indian Affairs documentation supported descendants’ authority over burial site determination
- Fort Yates’s original gravesite remains marked and accessible despite the removal
- Both locations claim authenticity, creating parallel pilgrimage sites for those seeking historical truth
You’ll find two memorials competing for legitimacy in this unresolved territorial claim. The Standing Rock Indian police who killed Sitting Bull during the arrest attempt carried out orders from federal authorities concerned about his influence over the Ghost Dance movement. Before his surrender, Sitting Bull had unified the various bands of the Sioux Nation across the American Plains in resistance to European expansion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Sitting Bull Actually Bury Treasure Before His Death in 1890?
No verified evidence confirms you’ll find any hidden cache location where Sitting Bull buried treasure before 1890. The legend stems from oral traditions passed down decades later, lacking contemporary documentation or archaeological proof to support these claims.
What Items Were Allegedly Included in Sitting Bull’s Hidden Treasure?
You’ll find claims the treasure contained silver, gold, and US currency from Little Bighorn, though no verified evidence supports Indian artifacts or native ceremonial objects were buried—those items appeared in collections through documented sales instead.
Have Any Treasure Hunters Successfully Located Sitting Bull’s Supposed Treasure?
Like mirages in the desert, Sitting Bull’s treasure remains elusive—you’ll find no verified records of prospective treasure hunters successfully recovering any cache. Treasure hunting expeditions have yielded only disappointment, not documented gold or artifacts from his legendary hoard.
Did Buffalo Bill Give Sitting Bull Money That Became Hidden Treasure?
No documented evidence supports Buffalo Bill’s payments becoming hidden treasure. Sitting Bull’s financial dealings with Buffalo Bill were contractually recorded—$50 weekly plus $125 bonus. Sitting Bull’s relationship with Buffalo Bill ended in 1885, with no treasure legends emerging from their documented transactions.
Are There Maps or Clues Indicating Where Treasure Might Be Buried?
Chasing shadows won’t help you—no maps exist showing potential locations of hidden cache. Burial site evidence examined reveals nothing. Fenn’s poem provides cryptic clues, but no traditional maps document Sitting Bull’s treasure locations, despite worldwide searches.
References
- https://www.notesfromthefrontier.com/post/sitting-bull-immortal-native-icon
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYWTKqgRdcA
- https://aktalakota.stjo.org/american-indian-leaders/sitting-bull/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitting_Bull
- https://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-sittingbull/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSa-aSM59JE
- https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/sitting-bull.htm
- https://www.truewestmagazine.com/article/leader-of-destiny-sitting-bull/
- https://www.sittingbull.edu/about/community/visitor-center/sitting-bull/
- https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/sitting-bull
