Chief Spotted Elk (Upan Glešká)
Also known as Chief Big Foot - Minneconjou Lakota Peacemaker and Victim of the Wounded Knee Massacre

🪶 Who Was Chief Spotted Elk?

Chief Spotted Elk (Lakota: Upan Glešká) was a respected Minneconjou Lakota leader known for his wisdom, diplomacy, and commitment to peace. Born around 1826, he was the son of the great Chief Lone Horn and part of a long lineage of peacemakers and treaty signers. Spotted Elk was a skilled orator, a father, and a defender of his people's survival during an era of profound injustice and violence against the Lakota Nation.
 

In the face of starvation, forced relocations, and broken treaties, Spotted Elk emerged as a thoughtful leader. He believed in finding peaceful resolutions, even when surrounded by the threat of war. He encouraged adaptation, supported education, and urged his people to avoid unnecessary conflict - while still holding firm to Lakota traditions and sovereignty.
 

🕊 A Man of Peace - Not a Warrior of Ghost Dance Rebellion

In December 1890, Chief Spotted Elk was suffering from pneumonia when he led a group of his people -including many women and children - toward the Pine Ridge Reservation. He hoped to seek safety under the protection of Chief Red Cloud after escalating military tensions on the Plains.
 

Though he had not led an uprising, U.S. soldiers wrongly viewed his movement as a threat due to the widespread fear of the Ghost Dance spiritual movement. The government, suspicious of any gathering of Lakota people, ordered the arrest of several leaders.
 

Spotted Elk was intercepted by the U.S. 7th Cavalry and escorted to a military camp at Wounded Knee Creek. There, on December 29, 1890, over 250 Lakota were massacred - including Chief Spotted Elk himself. Many of the dead were women and children. It was one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history.

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Spotted Elk was nicknamed Big Foot (Si Tȟáŋka) by U.S. soldiers - not to be confused with the Oglala sub-chief also called Big Foot who was part of the "progressive Indian Movement" at the time.

 

It is important to note that the name Big Foot has caused significant confusion in historical accounts, and this is the reason we have had to put up a website and social media pages correcting the misrepresentations.
 

There were at least two Lakota leaders referred to as Big Foot during the 19th century:
 

Chief Spotted Elk (Minneconjou Lakota) – the peacemaker killed at Wounded Knee.

Oglala Lakota Big Foot (Si Tȟáŋka) – a different man, younger, who died nine years after Wounded Knee and is buried in Kyle, South Dakota, with his family. Plenty Bear was a son of his. This man's actual name was Ste Si Tȟáŋka, which translates to "Lame Big Foot" and matches other oral histories.
 

Our grandfather, Spotted Elk, was called Big Foot after he picked up his treaty annuities at the fort sometime after returning from Washington, D.C. in 1888. That is the earliest time we, as direct lineal descendants, have heard of this name being used.
 

Unfortunately, this name stuck after his death due to the widely known, now iconic, photograph taken after his murder which was mislabeled "Big Foot, Chief of the Brules." Later, due to Lakota people whose ancestors were in his band but who were not direct blood descendants, this confusion was amplified by Mr. Leonard Little Finger and Mr. Richard Broken Nose. Unfortunately, they made very public claims without legitimate probate records or accurate oral history and tragically, they burned Spotted Elk's lock of hair, against the order of Tribal Court Chief Judge Sidney Witt.  This had cause a great deal of difficulty for the lineal descendants, who are still trying to clear up the confusion.
 

Due to the testimony of these men, historical documental and the wrong photographs have since mixed up the two leaders, resulting in misrepresentations of Spotted Elk’s true legacy. Correcting this confusion is essential to honor the truth of what happened at Wounded Knee - and the man who tried to prevent it. 

This is where descendants can use help, as we do not have the resources needed—although we have compiled a rather large database and historical documents, working with over a hundred descendants to sort it all out with the intention of creating a proper memorial. For 16 years we have painstakingly built this while living out our regular lives. This is an extra burden, and we believe that with help, we can finally assist others with the documentation they are missing as well.
 

📜 His Legacy Lives On

Spotted Elk’s legacy is one of heartbreak and honor. He was not a militant leader, but a protector. His name lives on in the memories of descendants and the sacred efforts to tell the truth about Wounded Knee.

The mass grave where he and many of his people were buried remains a symbol of grief, injustice, and resilience. Today, Lakota families continue to work to correct the historical record, remove the Medals of Honor awarded for the massacre, and seek justice for those who fell.

Calvin Spotted Elk, along with other descendants, have been quietly working for decades to ell the story of their grandpa and his relatives.  
 

🌾 "He was a peace chief. A father. A leader who died trying to protect his people."

Let us remember Chief Spotted Elk by his true name, his real story, and the courage it took to lead with compassion in a very violent time.

 

 

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