Spotted Tail (Sinte Gleska)
1823-1881

Spotted Tail (Sinte Gleska), a Brule Sioux, attained chieftainship by proving his prowess in battle. He worked hard to keep his people together after the signing of the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 and the band's relocation to Whetstone Agency in Dakota Territory.

A skilled negotiator, Spotted Tail visited Black Hills mining camps after the discovery of gold to learn the value of the mineral, which resulted in the Indian demand of $60 million for the sale of the hills.

During the Sioux War of 1876-1877, Spotted Tail and his people remained on the reservation, and the chief used his influence to persuade government officials to make the inevitable cultural changes as gradual as possible.

A more detailed profile is printed in Volume 5 Number 3 of South Dakota History, the journal of the South Dakota State Historical Society.