Leadership. It surrounds us. It is the fundamental element of the human condition. Wherever society exists, leadership exists. There are infinite variations of leadership among us. People routinely shift between leader and follower functions during a concise period. Specific leaders are well known and genuinely recognized during moments of crisis. Gary Anderson's biography entitled Sitting Bull and the Paradox of Lakota Nationhood is an admirable example of a leader who steers his followers into a life of independence.
             A staged sequence of events led to the battle of Little Big Horn in June of 1876. As the buffalo species were being slaughtered in the Great Plains and new railroads barged into Indians' deteriorating homeland, many Native Americans were determined to persevere their traditional way of life. Construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1873 brought about nationwide financial panic, spurring the United States to overrun the Lakota's sacred Black Hills in the quest for gold. The systematic extermination of buffalo along with the treaty violation triggered outrage among the Lakota. By 1875, a catastrophic showdown between the Lakotas and the United States Army was bound to occur. No Native American stood up to the challenge of taking on the United States in a dispute invading their lives. This was a time in a society for a leader to challenge and represent what his party believed in. A Hunkpapa Lakota chief and holy man Sitting Bull emerged to prevent Americans from entering their sacred land.
             Sitting Bull gained influence due to the society being overwhelmed with factionalism. The Lakota Indian tribe was plagued with partisan interest. In this period of developmental crisis, many tribes including the Lakotas lacked a true leader. As Americans infested their sacred territory and natural resources, typical Lakota members were reluctant to engage in defense. The Lakota chief and holy man under whom the Lakota tri...