Wimbo Kelly from executive producer Leonardo DiCaprio. The History Channel's documentary event Sitting Bull explores the remarkable life and accomplishments of the iconic Lakota chief. It is a special two night event on May twenty seventh and twenty eighth. Sitting Bull examines the mid nineteenth century westward expansion of American settlers and their encroachment upon Native territories. From it rose,
the legendary Lakota leader. Sitting Bull grew up in a time of prosperity for the Lakota people, but people started flooding the west. Native people see it as an invasion from the east. This is not some distant historic figure.
This is a real person who had a transformative effect.
Joining me right now on the show is the star of Sitting Bull. Michael Spears. Michael, thank you for coming on tonight. How are you.
Hey, Madalo, I'm doing well. Thank you.
That's fantastic. You are a member of the Lakota Nation. For those who don't know, born in South Dakota, walk the same paths that Sitting Bull did. What were the stories like that you heard growing up?
Growing up? I got to hear some of the UH the relationships that he had. You know, where his mother was from, where his where he came from, and why he did what he did.
When you heard about what he did, like for example, most people who may not be familiar with him know about the Battle of Wounded Knee and its legacy. The battle was between the US Army and the Lakota people. Were some three hundred Lakota men, women and children were killed. How were those stories conveyed to you growing up?
You know, getting being so close to to Oglalla country where Wounded Knee took place. You know, we every every year around the anniversary of those times, you know, we would we gather and my father and mother grandparents would share those stories and tell us, you know, what happened and why they happened. You know, Spotted Elk or Bigfoot was was thought to be the next leader as Sitting Bull. So that's why they went after him so so hard.
You know, they thought there was gonna he was gonna be the next UH chief and and and rise up, and so they you know, the Calvary and the government chased him down and hence the massacre at Wounded Knee.
That's a great point that you made Sitting Bull getting back to the to the show is part documentary, part dramatization. Is as much as you were involved, how does this go about telling the most important events in his life as a man, as a leader, as a chief.
Well, you know, he is one of our brightest icons of diplomacy. He was ceremonial chief. He was a holy man, you know, and in his later years he didn't actually participate in the fighting because he couldn't being a holy man.
You know, you're a proponent of life. And even in the show, you're going to see his telling of his vision prior to the battle, a little big horn or greasy grass as we know it, and you're going to see how it affects him emotionally and personally to talk about and realize that there's going to be so much death, you know, and not only with the Lakota people, but
on both sides, you know. And he didn't he wasn't a proponent of war, but he was an incredible strategist and he was very spiritually grounded and connected individual, which you're going to get to see.
In this time of no real direct communication. Yes, there were newspapers, but I was assumed that was more on the army side and the settler side. How did the legend of Sitting Bull spread? He was talked about in newspapers, but how did he spread among the La Coda nation and beyond? How did that word travel?
So in our history is historically we provide our our youth are the people with an oral history or a winter con is what we call it. And we would have gatherings where even here where I'm at in Montana, we have the headwaters, there's places on sacred spaces, including the Black Hills, where we would gather and have our annual sun dance or wiping of tears or hungapi ceremonies
are making of relatives. And so we had sacred spaces that Sitting Bull fought for and Crazy Horse and you know all of our leaders fought for these spaces too that we have used over the last you know, hundreds of of years to h to have uh you know that they say, uh, you know, I don't like to use that word pow wow, but it's a it's a contemporary word of an actually a payout word power. Uh. It's a gathering. So we would have gatherings of ceremonies to to tell the you know, who lived and who
died and why and who uh what happened? So you know, we would keep our records on on heights on there. There was a job of a historian of each tribe to have those records and to share them orally and pictographically.
I know there must be a lot of expectation and a lot of responsibility in portraying someone like sitting Bull.
Now.
I said in the beginning that it was executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, But there are a lot of people correct me if I'm wrong, from the Lakota Nation who are also involved this piece. Is that true?
Yes, yes, that was gave me a a big sense of pride, you know, walking on to the location and set, seeing the la Quota commentators, seeing the Lakota producers, and you know, we've got Native historians telling the story. You know, we've got representation not only from la Quota, but the Crow, the Hunk, Popa, the you know, we have a representation from all walks of life that are getting to share in their knowledge.
Does any of this make you just a little bit nervous as a person, because you know, there's so many people tuning in with their own preconceived notions of how the story should be told. You know, there's always going to be some sort of pushback. Does that weigh on you in any way?
Oh? Yes, yes it does, you know, just just as a person, you know, you want to have a good relationship with everybody. You know, you don't want to hurt nobody's feelings. And I try to do the best that I could in my own research, my own connection, asking
permission through ceremony to play this role. You know, I've I've already felt some of that pushback on on social media with some of the relatives of sitting well himself, and I definitely feel the weight on the responsibility of playing such an important character or person chief relative.
Do you think that you will be sitting watching as it airs the first night, in the second night, or are you someone who doesn't necessarily need to see yourself on screen as it airs in premieres?
Yeah, I guess I'm one of those guys who doesn't really like to watch himself. But I have some relatives that put together a watch party. I'm going to be sitting there with my with some family and relatives, and we're going to get to watch it together.
That's good. It's nice to hear that your family and friends will be supporting you, because I know, especially with social media, it can really really be difficult on occasion. Sitting Bull a special two night event on May twenty seventh and twenty eighth History Channel starring my guest Michael Spears as City Bull. Mister Spears, thank you for coming on this evening. I salute you and celebrate you and wish you nothing but success in the future.
Oil Thank you so much from my heart to yours, and I hope you all enjoy and come away with some awareness and a little bit of knowledge and love.
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