Big Snake Character Analysis in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Brother of a powerful Ponca chief, who was arrested and killed by U.S. troops for exercising the legal right to travel across the country and join his people in Nebraska. Big Snake’s death—supposedly an accident, but quite possibly murder—sent a message to the Ponca tribe that the United States wouldn’t permit Native Americans to exercise their freedoms, even if their own laws allowed them to do so.

Big Snake Character Timeline in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

The timeline below shows where the character Big Snake appears in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

In October, General Sherman arrested Big Snake , the brother of a Ponca chief. According to eyewitnesses, Big Snake refused to allow... (full context)