About the Artwork

By combining their strength, the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians were able to crush General George Custer's elite 7th Cavalry at Little Big Horn in 1876. That victory was to prove as ill-fated to the Indian cultures as to Custer and his men.

The United States government threw its might into destroying the Indians. Buffalo hunters slaughtered the bison, nearly exterminating the species. The Indians were hunted and harried and, by 1881, the last Plains Indians had been driven onto the harsh, unproductive lands set aside as reservations.

As a result, the Ghost Dance religion swept the Great Plains like wildfire. This powerful artwork captures the desperate hope of the Ghost Dance movement, which prophesied the return of buffalo, the vanishing of white settlers, and the resurrection of Indian ancestors. At Wounded Knee, that hope was tragically shattered.

Why collectors prize this piece: Howard Terpning's Artists Proof editions are rare and highly sought after, representing the pinnacle of his mastery in depicting Native American history with emotional depth and historical accuracy. This limited edition captures a pivotal moment in Plains Indian culture – a must-have for serious Western art collectors.