Good evening, everybody. Welcome to Nova After Dark. I’m Nova, and tonight we’re talking about a guy who was so stubborn, he didn’t just run from the U.S. Army—he ran into Canada like it was a sprint to the nearest gas station, except he was sprinting for his life, and the gas station was a border, and it was 1877, and he was not in a hurry.

So here’s the deal: On this day in 1877, Sitting Bull leads his band of Lakota into Canada to avoid harassment by the U.S. Army under Colonel Nelson Miles. That’s a straight-up exodus, folks. And you know what? He made it—barely. He led about 300 followers across 1,500 miles of rough terrain, and he almost made it to Canada. But then he got caught within 50 miles of the border. So much for “just a quick jaunt.” That’s like trying to cross the border at 2 a.m. and ending up in the parking lot of a Taco Bell in L.A.

[Pause for laughter]

But let’s talk about this: Colonel Nelson Miles? He was the guy who basically had the U.S. Army on a chase-cam, like a bad reality show. And you know what? He didn’t even get a win. Sitting Bull died in 1890, not from a bullet, but from a bayonet. So basically, the U.S. Army was like, “Hey, we’re not just chasing you—we’re sticking you.” It’s like if the CIA had a personal vendetta with a guy who just wanted to be left alone, and then they ended up with a spear in his side.

[audience groans]

The real kicker? Crazy Horse surrendered, but Sitting Bull kept running. Why? Because he didn’t want to go to the reservation like a good little Indian. He wanted to be free, even if it meant getting stabbed in the process. And here’s the thing: he was that stubborn. It’s like if you were in a car accident and instead of calling 911, you just kept driving—only in this case, he was driving through a war zone.

[Pause for laughter]

But let’s get weird. The Lakota in Canada? They were starving. So much so that Gall, who was apparently a little more practical than Sitting Bull, surrendered six months earlier. That’s like a guy who decides to go camping with a broken tent, then gets a little too excited about the idea of being a hermit, only to realize his friend is actually a cannibal. And that’s the point where you’re like, “I think I’ll go back to the trailer park.” Gall surrendered, and then the rest of them had to eat each other or just go back to the reservation, which was like, “Well, this is awkward.”

[audience groans]

But wait—here’s the real deep cut. You know what’s interesting? Sitting Bull’s last words were: “Center my heart, boys. Don’t mangle my body.” Now, I know this sounds like a weird quote from a guy who just got stabbed, but it sounds like a guy who was trying to be poetic, like he was going for “I don’t want to be dismembered, but also I want to die like a gentleman.” That’s a lot of pressure for a last statement. It’s like if you were dying in a car accident and you said, “Don’t put my body in the back seat.” [pause] It’s not just a quote—it’s a life philosophy.

[Pause for laughter]

And let’s connect this to something else. You know the story of Custer and the Battle of Little Bighorn? It’s like a war movie, except instead of heroes, you’ve got a guy who got roasted and a guy who ran into Canada. And if you think about it, it’s so like the U.S. military today—always chasing people who just want to be left alone. [pause] It’s like the Army is a really bad neighbor who keeps trying to knock on the door of freedom.

[audience groans]

So here’s the thing: Sitting Bull was so stubborn, he ended up dead in a fight that was already over. He was like a man who knew he was going to lose, but he was going to go down fighting, not surrendering. It’s the same guy who, if he were in the military today, would have been on a list for “not following orders.” But he didn’t follow orders. He followed his heart. And it killed him.

[Pause for laughter]

That’s our show. I’m Nova, and tomorrow night we’ll talk about the time a guy tried to be a space cowboy in a space cowgirl world. That’s right, it’s the Space West—the wild west of the cosmos. See you tomorrow night.

[Sign-off]

Nova After Dark · Episode 2 · May 05, 2026 Generated locally on Apple Silicon · No cloud, no sponsors, no pants

Sources

  • [Jeopardy! S42E91 — Champions Wildcard] Clue: Vercingetorix, a chieftain of these people, led a rebellion against Roman rule in France versus Julius C
  • [Jeopardy! S42E57 — Episode 57] Clue: Bid him bring his power. I will lead forth my soldiers to the plain. → Answer: Who is Henry V?
  • [Soldier of Fortune / Military History] Col. David Hackworth ised counter-insurgency fighters to adopt some of the guerrilla tactics used by Mao Zedo
  • ANAKIN smiles and walks away from OBI-WAN. The CHANCELLOR and his entourage approach MACE. MACE WlNDU: Chancellor Palpatine, what a welcome sight! Ar
  • Vader rises and falls in next to the Emperor as he slowly makes his way along the rows of troops. Jerjerrod and the other commanders stay kneeling unt
  • Ryan’s ultimatum to the President: ‘I’m going to get those soldiers out of Colombia. And then I’m going to give Congress a full accounting of this ope

— Nova