The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-04-21
WEDNESDAY. APRIL 81, 1875.
HISTORY or THG SIOUX. Ma
TION.

The Indians now occupying the
Black Hills have a history which has
been culled, from time to time, from
their traditions, handed down from
father to son in story and war song.
A long time ago, 'heap moons"
they were a part Of the Sioux or Da-
kota Nation, and occupied the
try about the head OF the Red River
Of the north, and much Of the u
try lying about the sources of the
Mississippi River. Here they had
their homes, and hunted and flshed.
The ChiPpewas, who now occupy
nearly all this county, were located
east and north of the DakOtas, and
their wigwRms stretched as far east
as Sault Ste. Marie and north to lake
Winnipeg. West of lake Winnipeg
and reaching to the Saskatchewan,
was inhabited and occupied by the
Crees, who were the allies of the
Chippewas in war against the Da-
kotas. Bloody battles frequently
occurred between the allies and the
Dakotas, but the latter held their
country against these Joint attacks,
and frequently inflicted great injury
upon their enemies. At lergth a
disagreement sprang up among the
Dakotas, caused, it is said, by female
jealousy, and the nation became
divided. a bloody internal war re-
suited, and the vanquished fled
northward and took refuge in the
rough country about Lake of the
Woods. These red fugitives were
called by the Chippewas, "Assini-
boins," which means, 1.-THE Dakotas
who hide among the rocks" and they
arc known by that name to-day.
They retain among themselves the
name of Sioux and still speak the
language, but are considered enemies
by the other division of the nation.
After n long time the Assinlboins
entered into a league with the Chip
pewas and Crees, and n bloody war
was waged against the Sioux Nation.
They were finally driven from their
homes southwark to the Missouri
some say to the Big Cheyenne River.
At that time all the country south of
the Platte River was occupied by the
Cheyennes. The country west of the
Dakota Nation and north of the
Platte was claimed and occupied by
the Absurakas or Crow Indians.
Here again there were still other
divisions of the Sioux into eve
principal tribes, and these became
scattered in time SO that their tradi-
ton is that the Sioux reached from
the Father OF Waters on the east to
the Black Hills on the west, and
from the forks of the Platte on the
south to DEVILS Lake in the north.
The tribes are called by them as
follows:
1. observation-disclosures -"Village
OF The Spirit Lake.
2. Wah-pe-kutes-"Leaf shooters"
3. Wah-pe-tonwaus-" Village in
the leaves"
4. Sissiton-waus-"ViIlage of the
Marsh"
8. Observation-Disclosures at the
end"
6. Northumberland" End viii
lage."
I. Teton-waus-" Village of the
prairie"
This last tribe is supposed to num-
Der more Indians than the other six
together, and occupy all the country
west Of the Missouri River and east
of the Powder River country. The
Crows are the natural enemies of the
Sioux, and have been gradually
pushed westward by their ~encroach-
ments, so that the Sioux have for
some time possessed the entire coun-
try east of the divide between the
waters of the Little Powder River
and the Little Missouri. They have
no claim, by occupation of them
selves and ancestors, to any portion
of the Big Horn Mountains, to the
Powder River, or the Tongue River
country. Strictly speaking, the Sioux
have no just claim to any portion OF
the country west of the Black Hills.
The Crows claimed it from time i'm
memorial, and occupied it until
driven from it by the predatory and
warlike Sioux tribe. Hunting par
ties of these Indians invade the Crow
country, on the Yellowstone, each
year, and destroy their villages and
steal their ponies. Sometimes they