Free Republic

A photo of Legendary Native American leader Sitting Bull taken in 1885. (Image credit: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution) Science has confirmed a man in South Dakota is the great-grandson of the iconic Native American leader Sitting Bull. DNA from the famous chieftain's hair matched that of Ernie LaPointe, who has long claimed this famous relation. Sitting Bull, also known as Tatanka-Iyotanka, led the Lakota tribe of Sioux people in what is now South Dakota. He is most notable for being the military leader who famously defeated U.S. Lt. Col. George Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876....

A sample of hair belonging to the legendary 19th century Native American leader Sitting Bull has allowed scientists to confirm that a South Dakota man is his great-grandson. Scientists took DNA from a tiny sample of Sitting Bull's hair that had been stored in Washington DC. It showed that Ernie LaPointe, 73, is his great-grandson. The new method allows analysis of family lineages with DNA fragments from long-dead people.