As a war leader of the Wahpekute Santee Sioux tribe, Inkpaduta was one of the war leaders of the Santee Sioux Indians at the battles of Big Mound, Dead Buffalo Lake, and Whitestone Hill, in North Dakota in 1863. In the following year, however, the Union army strategized the end of the Sioux resistance, which became realized at the battle of Killdeer Mountain in July 1864. Inkpaduta was forced to flee to Canada. Twelve years after the Civil War, Inkpaduta was among the scores of natives who defeated Custer at the Little Bighorn. He passed away in Canada in 1881.