The conflict that occurred between the United States government and Native American tribes, known as the Great Sioux War. It was a long and disjointed struggle between the U.S. Army and the allied tribes of the Teton Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Indians that took place over fifteen months between March 1876 and May 18771. Hostility between the U.S. government and Native American Indian tribes grew due to the movement of settlers onto their promised land. The Northern Plains, which include the Dakotas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana, are where most of the war took place. The most important battle of this war was the Battle of Little Big Horn, due to the amount of casualties suffered by the 7th US Cavalry led by General George Armstrong Custer. The Native American tribes who defeated the 7th Cavalry were led by Sitting Bull of the Hunkpapa Sioux. The battle that occurred in the Black Hills of South Dakota was the result of gold panning in the area2. History: To understand the Battle of Little Big Horn and the decisions made on the battlefield, one must first understand the leaders who commanded both the 7th Cavalry and the informal leaders of the Native American tribes. We also need to know the events that led to the infamous Battle of Little Big Horn. First, we will talk about General George Armstrong Custer who graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, at the bottom of his class in 18613. To his advantage, the Civil War had just begun and at the time the need for trained officers was critical. Custer was initially commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment where he performed runner duties during the first battle... middle of the paper... very different. The Sioux were very well prepared due to research conducted by Sitting Bull as he spoke with migrant tribes who informed him of how the whites operated. The Indians were perceived as an inferior enemy, however through preparation and intelligence gathering they decimated the 7th Cavalry and General Custer. Works Cited1. First Lieutenant, Burns, Matthew J., “Revisiting the Battle of Little Big Horn,” (Master's thesis, Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey CA, 93943-5000, December 2000)2. Hickman, Kennedy, “Indian Wars: Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer,” Military History.com, http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/1800sarmybiographies/p/custer.htm3. Lieutenant Colonel Lavine, Michael J., “Sitting Bull: Great Commander and Strategist – or Savage?”, (National War College, 300 5TH Avenue, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC, 20319-6000, 1996)