Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-05-25
E pLualsus uNuM.a l ~
The Motto of hui Nation and the Word
Dakota arc Synonymous Terms.
TO HE Press and Dakotasaa.

Ahc SEOttS VI VuS NatiOh auu thc pEu
Dakota r. synopymeus Terms.
To Tie Press aud DGkotasaa.
We have all learned froia dur ffsts Ret!
clement in the territory that the word
Dakota, by which the native race love
to be designated, signifies allied on
joined together in friendly compact,
and is equivalent, AS Neill says in his
history Of Minnesota, from which we de-
rive much of this article. to "E Pluribus
Unum," the motto on the seal Of the
Uuited States. So we may observe that
leagues of state are not'oniy not new
but quite the policy in this land. In
the history of the La Pointe Apostle
Islands) mission ove two centuries ago,
the Dakotas are said "as 1t were in the
centre of the western nation, to have all
united their force by a general league"
Charlevoix in the history Of New
France says the name of Sioux is of our
own making, the last part of the name
Nadowessioux." This is an Oiibway
(Chippewa) word, which signifies
enemies. So it is neither lev for them
to form a league nor for their enemies
to call them bad names when they felt
the power of their league. The great
divisions of the Dakotas were the
lhanktonwan) (Ysnktons) the Isangati
(Santees) and the Titonwan (Tetons).
They had originally another grand di-
vision to the, north, the Assinaboines. A
writer Ia 1895 remarks: 1t is said the
Assinaboines are a nation of the Sioux,
which separated from them o long time
ago. Lie Seur writes: "Besides these
there We're other conquerers of the Da-
kote and Assinaboines III the north and
along the upper Missouri who became
separated and estranged by other in
~terests and alliances not authorized or
confirmed by the general league.
The alienation came about by alliances
which the more northern tribes made
with enemies of the Dakotas. Instead
of holding fast to the common cause
they made a treaty with and married
the women of the enemies, while the
Dakotas continued the war:and would
not make the compact. So the title Da-
kota became more certainl and honora-
bic and has so continued to this day
The loss wss a gain.
From all this it would appear that
neither leagues nor being called bad
names by enemies, nor suffering by q
treaty with the enemy by a part of the
nation, which the great majority re-
jected, is a new experience to the Da-
kotas.
The moral of it all is that tho modern
and great people who have succeeded
the Dakot8s upon this soil may rightly
form their league more strongly and let
the aliens go in peace to form = new
tribe by themselves and their congress.
They may justly claim 1.-The first right to
the word Dakota which the tribes kept
which occupied the south. They may
periodically and with oil loyalty to the
government say:"Our motto isDakota.'
Sc pluribus unum,'' tout Of many one, and
hold that the United States should, true
to its motto, freely found states into the
union of our government and not by
colonial methods unjustly hold many
separate governments in subsection,
when their only demand is for a fulfill.
ment of the motto which is the first
principle of our government. B.