Sitting Bull Symbolism

The white horse is a universal symbol of freedom, because the rider feels as if he or she is free on the back of a horse, going through the open fields, and feeling the breeze hit against his or her face. On the other hand, in the American culture, a white horse depicts death. In the movie, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, directed by, Yves Simoneau, the symbolism of the white horse that Sitting Bull looked at before the Native Americans were massacred, plays a huge role in depicting what has been happening and what is about to happen to the Native Americans at Wounded Knee. Throughout the movie, many people can come to the conclusion that James McLaughlin, has no understanding of the tribe, and has and utter dislike for Sitting Bull, and all Native Americans. During this time in the movie, Sitting Bull is in Pine Ridge, going from agency to agency to try and collect the necessary signatures. When all the Native Americans and Henry Dawes arrive in the shed to hear the news from Dawes about what the Congress has said about their land, Red Cloud stands up for what he believes is right. Red Cloud says, in regret to signing the Fort Laramie Treaty, “The white man will not see …show more content…
The military officers claimed they could not find all of the Native Americans weapons screaming that the Native Americans were hiding them. An elderly deaf man, could not comprehend what the officers were doing, and would not let go of his rifle. A shot was fired from the deaf man’s rifle on accident, but the officers took it as an act of war. They shot and killed hundreds of innocent Native American women, children, and men. The Native Americans had no way to defend themselves, because the military officers had just seized all their weapons from