Sitting Bull, Buffalo Bill, and Native American Stereotypes

Sitting Bull was a great Sioux warrior, holy man and Chief who resisted white culture and domination in the 1800s. The chief was invited by William Cody, aka “Buffalo Bill,” to join the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show for the 1884‐85 season. The association between Sitting Bull and Cody can be complex and given to debate, but the effect of Sitting Bull’s participation in the Wild West show upon stereotypes of Native American’s in popular culture are profound. Whether Sitting Bull’s participation was beneficial, exploitative, or one of empowerment, his participation in the Wild West Show connected Native Americans with stereotypes that would follow them for more than a century. In this poster presentation, I will be analyzing the effects of Sitting Bull’s Wild West Show legacy in relationship to Native American popular culture stereotypes.