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I think sitting Bull probably had the most influence on the tribes with
Crazy Horse aa close second. Crazy Horse saw the encroaching
white man as a direct threat to his People and he was right!! Only he was right but even he could not forsee the horrible retribution that would be exacted from his people. The white man did terrible things to the Natives in the name of "western expansion".
Crazy Horse, as he never travelled on a train, met a President, stayed overnight in a hotel, dressed as a white man, wanted to be sure his wife was OK before going to the place where he knew he would have been killed
Crazy Horse was rightfully called the Strange One by the Lakota nation. He refused to participate in the Sun Dance, disappeared for days at a time for no apparent reason, stole another mans wife (which he got shot in the face for), had the warrior shirt taken away from him and was taken out of the warrior society (although he was a great warrior…probably the greatest ever), but not very wise. He nearly starved to death a thousand faithful followers, and unlike the myth he did unconditionally surrender at Hat Creek. Red Cloud and Spotted tail were able to use him for their own gains. He was never a chief for good reason. I could go on and on as to why he wasn't the greatest Lakota overall, but he was their greatest warrior ever.
There were certainly many great Lakota personalities, but push comes to shove the greatest of them all, in my humble opinion, was hands down Spotted Tail. Red Cloud hated him for killing his relative (whom tried to shoot Spotted Tail in the back after inviting him to dinner); yet he respected him above all others. When spotted tail once called for all Lakota to ride south to hunt buffalo and kill Pawnee half of Red Cloud's warriors left him. Spotted Tail manipulated the U.S. Government like a violin does to sound to extend their way of life as long as he could without going to war and losing everything. He was intelligent and wise. A great leader of men. It should be him on the mountain instead of Crazy Horse.