Chief Little Thunder and the Blue Water Creek Massacre

Believed to be Little Thunder at Fort Laramie 1868

A Leader of the Sicangu Lakota Chief Little Thunder (Itokaga division leader of the Sicangu Lakota) rose to leadership following the death of Chief Conquering Bear. Known as a Wicasa Yatapika—“man of the people”—he guided his band through one of the most turbulent eras of Lakota history.

Standing at 6’6”, Little Thunder was a commanding presence. He worked for peace but carried the responsibility of protecting his people against U.S. aggression. His leadership later inspired and paved the way for Spotted Tail, whom he chose to succeed him in guiding the southern Sicangu.

The Tensions Before the Massacre

By the 1850s, U.S. expansion across the plains brought settlers, military patrols, and increasing violations of treaty agreements. After the Grattan Massacre of 1854—sparked by the killing of a Mormon settler’s cow—the U.S. military sought to make an example of the Lakota.

The Blue Water Creek Massacre

On September 3, 1855, Brigadier General William Harney led 600 U.S. soldiers to attack Little Thunder’s Sicangu encampment along Blue Water Creek (Ash Hollow, Nebraska).

• More than 80 Lakota were killed, many of them women and children.

• 70 were taken prisoner, forced into captivity.

• Chief Little Thunder was wounded, sustaining a permanent knee injury.

Rather than being remembered as a battle, this event is more accurately described as a massacre, devastating a peaceful encampment.

Little Thunder's War Shirt

Legacy of Little Thunder

Though captured and injured, Little Thunder remained a respected leader until his death in 1879. He worked for peace and inspired Spotted Tail to continue this course. He was remembered as a leader who sought the survival of his people while maintaining dignity and strength.

Today, his descendants live on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation, in the Ospaye (district) known as Wososo Wakpa Wankatuya—the Upper Cut Meat Community. Their continued presence is a living reminder of his leadership, sacrifice, and resilience.

For the Sicangu Lakota, the massacre at Blue Water Creek is remembered not as a military engagement, but as a deliberate act of violence. Remembering Chief Little Thunder means acknowledging both the tragedy and the resilience of his people.

Further Reading & Resources

Books & Articles

• The First Sioux War: The Grattan Fight and Blue Water Creek, 1854–1856 by Paul Norman Beck

• How Recovering the History of a Little-Known Lakota Massacre Could Heal Generational Pain, Smithsonian Magazine

• Little Chief’s Gatherings by James A. Hanson

• Little Thunder Family Educates Public On Blue Water Creek Massacre, Lakota Times

Archives & Organizations

• Smithsonian Institution Archives – records and repatriated artifacts

• Ancestral Healing Circle – nonprofit supporting healing and education

• Ash Hollow State Historical Park – near the massacre site