Sitting Bull's War

Paul L. Hedren will be at the Plaza Branch, Truman Forum Auditorium on Tuesday, November 3, to talk about his book, Sitting Bull's War. The talk is part of the Kansas City Public Library's Native American Heritage Month series and is aimed at adults.

Hedren spent over ten years writing the book, and he didn't just stick to the usual records. He drew on Lakota and Cheyenne accounts, pictographic renderings, and original interviews to piece together the story. The result has picked up a fair bit of recognition: a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America, a Western Heritage Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, and several Best Book awards from the Little Big Horn Associates.

The book itself follows Sitting Bull and other chiefs as they rallied thousands of Lakota and Northern Cheyenne people to resist invasions by railroaders, surveyors, prospectors, and the U.S. Army. It covers the battles that come to mind first—turning back General George Crook at Rosebud Creek and defeating Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer at the Little Big Horn—and places them within the larger struggle to hold onto their land.

Hedren is a retired National Park Service historian and superintendent, so he's coming to this from a career spent working with the actual sites and stories he writes about. The talk runs from 6 to 7 PM, with a reception starting at 5:30 PM, so you've got a half hour to settle in and grab a drink before he starts.