Final answer:
Sitting Bull, a Lakota Sioux leader, is remembered for his leadership at the Battle of Little Bighorn and as the last chief to stand firmly against U.S. policies, never giving up his position before his death. He was eventually killed by police sent to arrest him, marking the end of an era of significant Native American resistance to U.S. westward expansion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sitting Bull was a prominent Lakota Sioux spiritual leader known for his steadfast resistance against U.S. government policies. He became famous for his leadership during the Battle of Little Bighorn, where his forces achieved a significant victory against Colonel George Armstrong Custer and his troops. This battle was a climactic moment in the struggle of the Plains tribes against the U.S. military's incursions onto their territories.
Despite this victory, the U.S. Army intensified its efforts to quash Native American resistance. After the battle, most Plains tribes, rather than engaging in further large-scale armed conflicts, either resumed their tribal life or fled. Sitting Bull himself escaped to Canada, returning to the United States in 1881, only to face his eventual end at the hands of authorities attempting to arrest him. His death occurred during a period of increasing tensions and government efforts to suppress the revival of Native American traditions, such as the Ghost Dance.
Leaders such as Red Cloud and Crazy Horse had varying responses to U.S. policies. Red Cloud eventually signed a treaty relinquishing the Black Hills, while Crazy Horse continued to resist until his demise. After the death of Sitting Bull, the U.S. government's focus turned to dealing with the remaining Sioux resistance, culminating in the tragic massacre at Wounded Knee.