This special issue of South Dakota History investigates the historical legacy, political context, and visual representation of the Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull. The contributors, including noted historians Robert M. Utley and Kingsley M. Bray, utilize archival research, census data, and photographic analysis to move beyond mythic portrayals. The collection provides a rigorous academic framework for understanding Sitting Bull's life, his political influence within the Hunkpapa nation, and the complexities of his surrender and subsequent documentation.

This volume serves as a specialized resource for historians and researchers focusing on the Northern Plains and the life of Sitting Bull. The inclusion of primary census data and detailed photographic history makes it a valuable reference for those seeking a granular understanding of the late nineteenth-century frontier.