Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-04-20

were and where they lived. Indians
describe their abode by the pre-
feature of the landscape. AS
habitually use many French words
which they have learned from the early
priests they probably answered in their
way-"Sioux du Coteau"-meaning
they were Sioux Of the hills and the
whites in their ignorance of French, as
sumed "du Coteau' to be an Indian word
and gave the name to the whole country |
and finally to the Indians themselves,
spelling the word "Da-co-tah' with the
Sioux termination.
There are many words now incorporated
in the Sioux language that have been
formed in this manner. The Indians like
the French tongue. and take pride in speak
ing it. 1t would be interesting to trace
this liking back to the period when France
was the owner of the country. They also
greatly dislike the English language and
refuse to speak it. 1t is a language Of lies
and has many tongues they say-some to
say n thing and others to take it back.
Again l had ecourse to my dusky lin
guist in her teepee. The word "Dakotah"
| heard read meant called" This did not
coincide with my theory of the French
origin and meaning of the word.
"How many tribes were the Sioux? l
asked, land how were they bound to-
getherw Instantly she held up one finger
then seven fingers closely intertwined,
then one finger showing that they were
one nation with seven divisions under one
government. This I knew to be true, and
it was easy to be seen how an American
having distorted "du Coteau" into " Da-
kotah' and learning from the Sioux that
their nation consisted of seven allied
tribes-should have interpreted their sup
posed Sioux name as meaning sailed"
The seven tribes or divisions of the Sioux
we're anciently joined in a league known
as the Oceti Sakowin. or ''The seven,
Council Fires" The Sistonwans, or villages
of the marsh were originally along the
west bank of the upper Mississippi river,
X came the Observation-Disclosures or .svil-
lagos Of the Spirit Lakes" Then the
Wahpekutewans ~or"yillages Of the Leaf
shooters, so called because their flint arrows
were made in the form of a leaf. Then
came the the Wapetonwans or villages in
the woods" Merit came the Minnekanye-
Wogopuwans or "villages of those fwho
plant by the WATER and the Titonwans or
"villages of the prairie dwellers'' or hun
tiers. Lastly and superior to all others
were the Ihanktonwanna, or villages at the
end" or on the heights who were found on
the east side OF the Missouri river.
In the ancient days these divisions were
kept intact, each division having many
subdivisions OF tribes and bands. But once
a year the head chiefs %iourneyed to some
appointed place, there to hold a grand
council and with many barbaric cere.
monies to agree upon laws for the govern
ment of the nation for the ensuing year.
The observation-disclosures, the Wahpeku-
tewans. the Wahpetonwans and the Sis.
tonwans were also called lsantees, and
their residence was in Minnesota and east
ern Dakota. Between the country of the
Isantees and the Missouri river, the land
was owned by the lhanktonwanna tribes
and west Of the Missouri to the Rocky
mountains was the undisduted realm OF
the Tetonwans. To the division of the
Tetons belonged the tribes of the Sicaugu
or Burnt Thighs, also called Brule Sioux
in honor of Father Brule, a French priest
Itazipeho or Sans Arc, Ono bows,) the
Sihasapo, (Black feet,) and the Oehenonpa
1.-TWO Kettles the Oghallas, (Wanders in
the Mountain, (Black Hills,) Minneconpouz
those who plant by the water, and Onkpa
pas, those who dwell by themselves.
Of the various tribes and bands of the
various divisions of the Sioux, there were
not less than %forty-fve in the smoky watel
country in 1870, the four divisions of the
~Isantees having fed from Minnesota tt
this region after the Sioux uprising in 1862
To the influence of these wild and re.
vengeful refugees, may be attributed much
of the warfare and bloodshed that marked
the succeeding years,untll the surrender o.
the last hostile band of the vanquisheG
nation at Fort Buford in 1881.
Among the traditions of the Isantee
tribes are many that are readily recognized
by the student of United States history, a.
real events of the revolutionary war. Tht
remnants Of the warlike tribes of the ma
tive Indians of New England and the mid.
die states, who fled westward before thu
advancing tide of civilization, crossed thu
Mississippi and found refuge on the soil d
the Isantee. Here was told the story O
their wrongs. Around the campires of thu
Sioux was related their tales of wrong ant
outrage of the murder of their people, ant
the robbery of their lands by the crue
white men These refugees intermarriel
with the Isantees. The desire for vengenct
ranked in the breasts of their descendant.
and found its last expression on the fields
of Minnesota in 1852.
The government of these ancient people
seems to have been a republic similar tt
that of the United States. The Ocet
Sakowin made laws for the whole nation
defined the boundary lines of each settled
division and inter tribal difficulties deal
ing only with national questions and those
affecting the general welfare of the whole
p%eople-thus corresponding to our national
congress. Each division was divided int
several tribes, each having a separate chic,