The man responsible for the death of Sitting Bull was a prominent Indian agent by the name of James McLaughlin. Though McLaughlin was known for actually liking and respecting the Indians in his care-his wife was Sioux and she taught him her language-he still thought his mission was to “civilize” them. This meant stripping Natives of their culture and forcing them to adopt white ways. McLaughlin’s Indian police went to arrest Sitting Bull in December 1890 and shot him twice.
