Facts for Kids: Dakota Indians (Dakotas, Dakota Sioux) Dakota Indian Fact Sheet Native American Facts For Kids was written for young people learning about the Dakota Indian tribe for school or home-schooling reports. We encourage students and teachers to visit our Dakota Indian homepage for more in-depth information about the tribe, but here are our answers to the questions we are most often asked by children, with Dakota pictures and links we believe are suitable for all ages. Sponsored Links Dakota Tribe What is the difference between the Lakota and Dakota Sioux? What do these words mean? There is no real difference. "Lakota" and "Dakota" are different pronunciations of the same tribal name, which means "the allies." One Sioux dialect has the letter "L" in it, and the other dialect does not. This is only a pronunciation difference, not a political one. Of the 13 Sioux political subdivisions, seven pronounce the word "Lakota," four pronounce it "Dakota," one pronounces it "Nakota," and one is split between pronouncing it "Dakota" and "Nakota." But they all consider themselves part of the same overall culture.

"Sioux," on the other hand, is not a Lakota or Dakota name. It comes from the Ojibway name for the tribe, which means "little snakes." Many Lakotas and Dakotas use the word Sioux to refer to themselves when they're speaking English, however. Where do the Dakota people live? The original Dakota homelands were in what is now Wisconsin , Minnesota , and North Dakota and South Dakota . The Dakotas traveled freely, however, and there was also significant Dakota presence in the modern states of Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, and northern Illinois, and in south-central Canada. Today, most Dakota people live in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Saskatchewan. How is the Dakota Indian nation organized? There are 13 Sioux political subdivisions, combined into seven major tribes (the Mdewakanton, Sisseton, Teton, Wahpekute, Wahpeton, Yankton, and Yanktonai Sioux tribes.) However, today, these divisions have more cultural significance than political. Each Dakota band is politically autonomous, which means it has its own land and leadership and makes decisions independently of other Dakota bands.

Like most Native American tribes, each Dakota community lives on its own reservation ("reserve," in Canada), which belongs to them and is legally under their control. However, the US and Canadian governments still consider the Dakotas citizens. Each Dakota band has its own government, laws, police, and other services, just like a small country. The political leader of a band is called "itancan" in the Dakota language, usually translated as "chief" or "president" in English. The itancan used to be a man chosen by tribal councilmembers, but today Dakota tribal leaders can be of either gender and are popularly elected in most Dakota bands, just as mayors and governors are. What language do the Dakota people speak? Nearly all Dakota people speak English, but about 15,000 Dakota Indians are bilingual in their native Dakota language . Despite pronunciation differences, Lakota and Dakota speakers can understand each other easily, just like people who speak American English and Canadian English can.

If you'd like to know a few easy Dakota words, "hau" (pronounced similar to the English word "how") is a friendly greeting in Dakota, and "wa�te" (pronounced wash-tay) means "good." You can see a picture glossary of Dakota animal words here . What was Dakota culture like in the past? What is it like now? There are many different Dakota bands, but the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota has an especially informative website where you can learn about Dakota history and culture. Sponsored Links How do Dakota Indian children live, and what did they do in the past? They do the same things any children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many Dakota children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian children had more chores and less time to play, just like early colonists' children. But they did have dolls and toys to play with, and older boys in some bands liked to play lacrosse . Dakota mothers, like many Native Americans, traditionally carried their babies in cradleboards on their backs. Here is a website with Native American cradle board pictures.

What were Dakota men and women's roles? Dakota women were in charge of the home. Besides cooking and cleaning, a Dakota woman built her family's house and dragged the heavy posts with her whenever the tribe moved. Houses belonged to the women in the Dakota tribes. Men were hunters and warriors, responsible for feeding and defending their families. Usually only men became Dakota chiefs, but both genders took part in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine. What were Dakota homes like in the past? The Dakota people lived in large buffalo-hide tents called tipis (or teepees). Tipis were carefully designed to set up and break down quickly. An entire Dakota village could be packed up and ready to move within an hour. Originally tipis were only about 12 feet high, but after the Dakota acquired horses, they began building them twice that size. Here are some pictures of tepees and other Indian houses. Today, Native Americans only put up a tepee for fun or to connect with their heritage. Most Dakota families live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you. What was Dakota clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint? Dakota women wore long deerskin or elkskin dresses.

Dakota men wore breechcloths with leather leggings and buckskin shirts. The Dakota also wore moccasins on their feet and buffalo-hide robes in bad weather. In colonial times, the Dakota adapted European costume such as vests, cloth dresses, and blanket robes. Here are more pictures of Dakota clothing styles , and some photographs and links about Indian clothing in general. Dakota warriors and chiefs were well-known for their impressive feather warbonnets , but they didn't wear them in everyday life. Both Dakota men and women wore their hair long, cutting it only when they were in mourning. There were many different traditional Dakota hairstyles, but long braids were the most common. Men often wrapped their braids in fur or tied quillwork strips around them. Here is a website with pictures of Indian hair . On special occasions, the Dakota Indians painted their faces and arms with bright colors and animal designs. They used different patterns for war paint and festive decoration. Today, some Dakota people still wear moccasins or a beaded vest, but they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear feathers in their hair on special occasions like a dance. What was Dakota transportation like in the days before cars?

Did they paddle canoes? The Dakota tribes knew how to make birchbark and dugout canoes , but more often, they traveled overland. Originally the Dakota Indians used dogs pulling travois (a kind of drag sled) to help them carry their belongings. Here is an article with pictures of Indian travois . Once Europeans introduced horses to North America, the Dakota became known as expert riders and traveled greater distances. Horse riding is still popular in the Dakota nation today, but like other Americans, Dakota people also use modern vehicles like cars now. What was Dakota food like in the days before supermarkets? Originally the Dakota Indians were corn farmers as well as hunters, but once they acquired horses they mostly gave up farming, and moved frequently to follow the seasonal migrations of the buffalo herds. Most of their diet was meat, especially buffalo, elk and deer, which they cooked in pits or dried and pounded into pemmican. The Dakota also collected chokecherries, fruit, and potatoes to eat. Here is a website with more information about traditional Indian food. What were Dakota weapons and tools like in the past? Dakota warriors used bows and arrows, spears, war clubs, and buffalo-hide shields.

Here is a website with pictures and information about Native weapons . Hunters also used snares, and when Dakota men hunted buffalo, they often set controlled fires to herd the animals into traps or over cliffs. What other Native Americans did the Dakota tribe interact with? The Dakota traded regularly with other tribes of the Great Plains. They particularly liked to trade buffalo hides and meat to tribes like the Arikara in exchange for corn. These tribes usually communicated using Indian Sign Language . The Dakotas also fought wars with other tribes. Plains Indian tribes treated war differently than European countries did. They didn't fight over territory but instead to prove their courage, and so Plains Indian war parties rarely fought to the death or destroyed each other's villages. Instead, their war customs included counting coup (touching an opponent in battle without harming him), stealing an enemy's weapon or horse, or forcing the other tribe's warriors to retreat. Some tribes the Dakota frequently fought with included the Assiniboine , Ojibway , and Kiowa Indians. What are Dakota arts and crafts like? Dakota women are known for their native quillwork and beading , and the men are known for their elaborate buffalo-hide paintings .

Dakota artists also make pottery , parfleche , and ceremonial calumet pipes carved from catlinite. What kinds of stories do the Dakota people tell? There are lots of traditional Dakota legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the Dakota Indian culture. Here is a Brule Sioux story about Thunderbird . Here's a website where you can read more about Dakota mythology . What about Dakota religion? Sorry, but we cannot help you with religious information. Religions are too complicated and culturally sensitive to describe appropriately in only a few simple sentences, and we strongly want to avoid misleading anybody. You can visit this site to learn more about Dakota religious traditions or this site about American Indian spirituality in general. Can you recommend a good book for me to read? You may enjoy Santee Dakota Indian Tales , a book of Dakota myths and legends. For younger readers, two excellent illustrated stories are Moon stick , a story about changes in the traditional Sioux Indian lifestyle, and Brave Bear and the Ghosts , a Dakota legend. If you want to know more about Dakota culture and history, three good sources for kids are The Dakota Sioux , If You Lived With The Sioux , and The Sioux and Their History .

You can also browse through our reading list of recommended Native American books in general. How do I cite your website in my bibliography? You will need to ask your teacher for the format he or she wants you to use. The authors' names are Laura Redish and Orrin Lewis and the title of our site is Native Languages of the Americas. We are a nonprofit educational organization working to preserve and protect Native American languages and culture. You can learn more about our organization here . Our website was first created in 1998 and last updated in 2015. Thanks for your interest in the Dakota Indian people and their language! Sponsored Links SIOUX INDIAN TRIBE FACTS Open/Close Menu Introduction Dozens of native nations lived on the Great Plains including the Sioux Indians, also known as the Lakota or Dakota. The name Sioux means "little snakes". These Native Americans were nomadic and occupied territory in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North and South Dakota, however they were also known to live in parts of Nebraska, Illinois, and Montana. Jean Duluth, a Frenchman, moved into Sioux territory in the seventeenth century and took control of much of their land. The Sioux Indians were a powerful tribe with a rich history.

The facts below will address who they were, what they were about, how they lived, why they were so powerful, and other interesting information. General Sioux Indian Tribe Facts Tribes of the Sioux Indians Mdewakanton Yankton Yanktonai Sioux people were farmers, hunters, and gatherers. They farmed corn and gathered fruit and berries. Once the Sioux had access to horses in the 16th Century; their diet was predominantly buffalo meat since they were then able to keep up with the buffalos migration patterns. Their diet also included elk, antelope, turkey, and deer meat. The Sioux are known for their distinguished looks. Their hair is very black and it is worn long. Like other Native American tribes, they also have high cheekbones and large noses. The Sioux Indians have the distinction of having one of the most well-known Indian chiefs in history. Sioux Chief Sitting Bull was a holy man and a great leader. He was recognized early in his life for his bravery after going to war at the young age of 14. He eventually went on to lead his people to defeat Custer in the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. This was also known as Custer's Last Stand.

In the last battle of the American Indian Wars, the Battle of Wounded Knee (1890) over 150 Sioux Indians, including women and children, were killed. Some estimates say that number is closer to 300. The Sioux are known for their powwows, which is a ceremony held at the same time each year featuring dancing, singing, and lots food. The Great Sioux War of 1876 involved the Lakota (Sioux) together with the Northern Cheyenne in a series of battles against the U.S. that lasted until 1877. The Sioux men made Buffalo-hide paintings that were quite elaborate. The women were best known for their bead art, sometimes in the form of jewelry and sometimes used in embroidery. They were also skilled at quillwork and pottery. As in many Native American tribes, the Sioux men were responsible for providing food for their families and protecting them from harm. The women took charge of the children and domestic life, including cooking, cleaning, and breaking down and rebuilding their homes, or tipis (teepees) whenever necessary. These shelters were easy to take apart and put back together again.

Facts about Sioux Indian Religious Beliefs Traditional religious beliefs center around Wakan Tanka, their god and creator of all things. They were also a very spiritual group and believed that all things have spirits. Seven main spiritual ceremonies were held each year and were a very important part of Sioux culture. Sioux Indian Spiritual Ceremonies The Keeping of the Soul Rite of Purification Throwing of the Ball Sioux Indian Clothing The clothes they wore were made primarily from animal skins. Men wore typical deerskin shirts with leggings and women wore full length dresses with leggings underneath for warmth. The Sioux enjoyed decorating their clothing with colorful items such as beads, but also used an array of natural items including shells, animal teeth and claws. To protect their feet they wore moccasins and when they needed to keep especially warm they wore animal hide robes. The Lakota Tribes of the Great Plains - The Official Globe Trekker Website Search The Lakota Tribes of the Great Plains The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects.

Their territory covers some 200,000 km2 in the present day state of South Dakota and neighboring states. The Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Nation (also known as the Great Sioux Nation) descends from of the original inhabitants of North America and can be divided into three major linguistic and geographic groups: Lakota (Teton, West Dakota), Nakota (Yankton, Central Dakota) and Dakota (Santee, Eastern Dakota). The total number of native North Americans is approximately 1.5 million, of which around 100,000 are Lakota. They reside near the Sacred Black Hills of South Dakota. Culture Facts Where: Originally populated all the Rocky Mountain ranges but pushed out further west by white settlers to Missouri and South Dakota. History: White fur trade greed, broken treaties and endless small battles resulting in the near extinction of the race. How to join in: you can visit a few remaining settlements to experience Indian life, but beware that this erodes their unique culture. The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation’s many language dialects.

Their territory covers some 200,000 km2 in the present day state of South Dakota and neighboring states. The Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Nation (also known as the Great Sioux Nation) descends from of the original inhabitants of North America and can be divided into three major linguistic and geographic groups: Lakota (Teton, West Dakota), Nakota (Yankton, Central Dakota) and Dakota (Santee, Eastern Dakota). The total number of native North Americans is approximately 1.5 million, of which around 100,000 are Lakota. They reside near the Sacred Black Hills of South Dakota. The Lakota were one of the original native Americans tribes, who lived and hunted all over the Rocky Mountain ranges before the arrival of European travellers. The Lakota were originally part of the seven council fires made up of 7 bands: 4 Dakota, 2 Nakota and one Teton band, also known as the Lakota. Many Tribal Lands In the 17th Century they lived in Wisconsin, and in the forests in southern Minnesota where they had established reservations of many tribal generations.

The name “Sioux” of which the native tribes are commonly known originates from the tribal name “Nadowe-is-iw”, the area of treacherous snakes near their settlements. In 1680 the Lakota (who called themselves “tiyospaye” meaning ‘extended family’) were identified as living further west, on the upper Mississippi in central Minnesota. Tribal wars over the fur trade forced the Lakota out west, from the forests and lakes of Minnesota to the Great Plains west of the Mississippi and later to South Dakota, near the Missouri River. Warfare During the gold rush in the 1840’s, the white traders and traveller brought alien diseases to the Indians as well as accelerated buffalo hunting for the fur trade. This caused hostility and battles with the emigrants and traders. In 1851, a series of treaties called the Fort Laramie Treaty were made between the US and the many tribes. The treaty was created to guarantee peace between the white Americans and the numerous tribes in the Rocky Mountains.

However, the white traders were hungry for the rich blood of the buffalo fur trade and every treaty and every agreement was ever made between the United States government and the Lakota people were violated and broken before the ink was even dry. This culminated in numerous battle, the most legendary and victorious for the tribes being the Battle of Little Bighorn. The Lakota are a fiercely strong and powerful tribe whose leaders and warrior have achieved the status of legends the world over, like Red Claw, American Horse, Young Man Afraid of His Horses, Red Horn Buffalo, and Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse is the Lakota’s hero, and held in high esteem and legend by the tribe. The white man was his sworn enemy and he never gave up the fight for his people’s land or lower his tribe status by making contact or speaking with a white man, and speaking his mother tribe’s tongue. He lived and died a true Lakota. They are not the kind of people to get on the wrong side of, but fight their battles with strength and honour. They have a special relationship with their horses, which they see as their brothers, and the horse and his master will care and protect each other in times of battle.

In the early days when the cavalry came to the area the Indians would come riding in vast numbers with just sticks or even with their bare hands and they would just hit these cavalry men, but never kill them and then ride away. The Lakota believe that even though someone might be your adversary you didn’t necessarily want to kill him, because you couldn’t “count koo” on him to bring honour on yourself. Counting koo is a way of showing bravery without violence. If a Lakota walked up to you and touched your nose and walked away, all of your comrades will look at you with shame because you allowed the enemy to walk right up to you, touch you and walk right away still alive. Folklore The theories of Koo are also felt in their folklore, which intentionally ridiculous the Lakota enemies. The story of how the white man got his name is an intricate part of the Lakota’s folklore. They believe that during the cold and snowy winter, the Lakota were well camouflaged in their dwellings. One day, they heard noises outside and saw a big hairy white face outside, all dressed up, and wondering through the lodges.

The Lakota used to keep bear fat high up in the trees where dogs and wolves could not reach it. The white man began to climb the tree and eat the bear fat, then strolled right through the camp. Thus the Lakota word for white man is Washetrom – or the man who came into camp and stole the fat. Tee Pee Reservations Lakota tribes dwellings are known as teepee’s and are constructed with twelve poles. The Lakota were early advocates of Feng Shui in the way they constructed their dwellings. The tenth teepee pole is the one that comes up and that has to point to the Morning Star and this is the direction and the door is always facing to the east, the space which represents new life, created each and every day. Modern Day Lakota Today, Lakota survival is still under threat, but not as you may belief through neither warfare, destruction of land or starvation. The popularisation of Lakota culture, by academics, cultural analysts and the general public is causing a cultural erosion, and a romanticism of the traditions of the tribes causing inaccurate stereotypes of the few remaining direct descendent of the tribes.

MORE INFORMATION Native American Tribes of the Upper Plains History of Native American Tribes Native Americans Tribes Upper Plains Region: Tribal History Below are brief descriptions about the tribes that artist Dave McGary focuses on in his bronze sculptures of the people of the Upper Planes region of Native America: Apache Also known as: ápachu, means 'enemy' Native Name: N'de, Dĭnë, Tĭnde and Inde, means 'people' Home Territories: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and the Great Plains Language: Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Plains Apache, Mescalero and Western Apache Enemies: Spanish, Mexicans and Americans Point of Interest: Were known as great warriors and intelligent tacticians in battles Arapaho Native Name: Iñunaina, means 'our people' Home Territories: Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and Oklahoma Language: Arapaho Point of Interest: In later years became fur traders Arikara Also known as: Sahnish, Arikaree and Ree Home Territories: North Dakato and South Dakota Language: Caddoan Point of Interest: Nearly wiped out by Smallpox in the mid-19th century Assiniboin Also known as: Asini

ibwaan, means 'Stone Sioux' Native Name: Hohe Nakota Home Territories: Northern Great Plains of America and Canada Language: Lakota Point of Interest: A semi-nomatic tribe that hunted bison and sold their hides Blackfeet Native Name: Sihasapa, means 'black feet' Home Territories: North Dakota and South Dakota Language: Blackfoot Tribal Alliance: Piegan, Siksika, Northern Piegan and Kainai Enemies: Crow, Dakota, Lakota and Nakota Point of Interest: They received their tribal name due to the fact that they wore black moccasins Brule Sioux Native Name: Sichanghu, means 'burnt thighs' Home Territories: The Dakotas Point of Interest: They got along well with the Whites in the area Caddo Native Name: Hasínai, means 'our own folk' Home Territories: Colorado, Kansas and eventually Oklahoma Language: Caddoan Tribal Alliance: Hasinai, Kadohadacho, and the Natchitoches Point of Interest: Were sustained through farming and raising cattle Cheyenne Also known as: Sha-hi'yena, means 'people of alien speech' Native Name: Dzǐ'tsǐǐstäs, means '

people alike' Home Territories: Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota Language: Cheyenne Point of Interest: Often worked as scouts for the US Army Cherokee Tribes of the Cherokee: Ani'-wa'`ya (Wolf), Ani'-Kawĭ' (Deer), Ani'-Tsi'skwa (Bird), Ani'-wi'dĭ (Paint), Ani'-Sah'a'ni, Ani'-Ga'tagewĭ and Ani'-Gi-lâ'hĭ Native Name: Tsálăgĭ or Tsárăgĭ, which might mean 'cave people' Home Territories: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tenessee and Texas Languages: 1) Elatĭ, or Lower, at locations near the heads of Savannah River, in South Carolina and Georgia; 2) Middle, mainly near the Tuckasegee River in western North Carolina; 3) A'tŭli, Mountain or Upper, throughout most of upper Georgia, east Tennessee, and extreme western North Carolina.

Alliances: Sided with the Americans during Revolutionary War. During the United States Civil War, most Cherokees sided with the Confederacy Point of Interest: If a White man married a Cherokee woman, he was granted limited tribal membership. However, if a Cherokee man married a Caucasian woman, he would be forced out of the tribe.

Chippewa Also known as: Ojibwa, Ojibway, Ojibwe and the Chippeway Native Name: Bāwa'tigōwininiwŭg, means 'people of the Sault' Home Territories: Michigan, northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota Language: Anishinaabemowin or Ojibwemowin Alliances: Ottawa and Potawatomi peoples Enemies: Iroquois Confederacy and the Sioux Point of Interest: Known for birch bark canoes, wild rice, copper points, and their use of guns from the British to defeat the Dakota and the Sioux Comanche Native Name: Numunuu, means 'the People' Home Territories: New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas Language: Comanche Alliances: Apache and Kiowa Enemies: American settlers at times Point of Interest: Known for attacking on nights with a full moon and for their skills of fighting while on horseback Dakota Also known as: Eastern Sioux, Nakota and Lakota Native Name: Dakota, means 'Allies' or 'Friends' Home Territories: Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Carolina, Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan Language: Lakota Points of Interest: Known for their bravery

 Delaware Native Name: Lenape, means 'genuine men' Tribes of the Delaware: Munsee, Unami, and Unalachtigo Home Territories: Pennsylvania, New York and eventually Wyoming and Oklahoma Language: Lenape Alliances: Nanticoke, Conoy, Shawnee and Mahican Enemies: Iroquois Point of Interest: Force to move West by the Iroquois and European settlers Fox Also known as: Utŭgamig, means 'people of the other shore' Native Name: Měshkwa`kihŭg' or the 'red-earth people' Home Territories: Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin Language: Meskwaki Alliances: Sioux and Iroquois Enemies: Chippewa, Potawatomi, Menominee and the French Point of Interest: Extremely violent in warfare, which nearly brought about their demise by the French, who considered the complete annihilation of this clan.

Also were code-talkers in WWII. Gros Ventres Tribes of the Atsina: Also known as the Atsina Native Name: A'ani or A'aninin, means 'white clay people' Home Territories: Montana and South Saskatchewan Language: Atsina Alliances: Blackfeet and then later allied with the Crow; possibly with the Arapaho Enemies: Assiniboine, Cree and Blackfeet (when the Atsina allied themselves with the Crow) Point of Interest: Due to the acquisition of guns by their enemies, they were forced north into Canada.

Hidatsa Native Name: Nuxbaaga, means 'original people' Home Territories: North Dakota Point of Interest: Often intermarried with their Mandan ally Hunkpapa Tribal Origin: Lakota Sioux Sioux Native Name: Honkpapa, means 'gatekeepers' Home Territories: North Dakota and South Dakota Enemies: All nearby tribes and Whites Point of Interest: Were the most feared tribe by both other tribes and Whites Illinois Confederacy Also known as: Iliniwek, means 'man' Native Name: Inoka, means 'proud men' Home Territories: Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri Language: Different dialects of Miami-Illinois Tribal Alliances: Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Moingwena, Peoria and Tamaroa Enemies: Sauk, Foxes, Kickapoo and Potawatomi Point of Interest: Adulterous women were punished by having their noses cut off Iowa Also known as: ayuhwa, means 'sleepy ones' Native Name: Báxoje, means 'gray snow' Home Territories: Kansas and Oklahoma Language: Siouan Home Territories: Missouri and Nebraska Language: Siouan Alliances: Iowa and Oto Enemies: Fox

 and Sauk Point of Interest: Desimated by war and disease, eventually assimilated into the Fox, Sauk and Osage tribes Ogala Native Name: Ogala, means 'to scatter one's own' Home Territories: Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming Language: Lakota Alliances: Cheyenne Enemies: All surrounding tribes Point of Interest: Signed a peace treaty with the United States and the surrounding tribes in 1868 Ojibwa Also known as: Ojibway, Ojibwe, Chippewa and the Chippeway Native Name: Bāwa'tigōwininiwŭg, means 'people of the Sault' Home Territories: Michigan, northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota Language: Anishinaabemowin or Ojibwemowin Alliances: Ottawa and Potawatomi peoples Enemies: Iroquois Confederacy and the Sioux Point of Interest: The largest North American tribe, living in wigwams, and for hunting, fishing and agriculture Omaha Native Name: Omaha, means 'those going against the wind or current' Home Territories: Iowa and Nebraska Language: Omaha-Ponca Home Territories: Nebraska and Wisconsin Language: Chiwere Point of Interest: When traveling

, they lodged in tipis Ottawa Also known as: Odaawaa, means 'to trade' Native Name: Nishnaabe, means 'original people' Home Territories: Michigan and Oklahoma Language: Ottawa Enemies: Mascoutens Point of Interest: Sided with England during the American Revolution and fought against the United States in the Northwest Indian War Pawnee Also known as: Paneassa and Pani Native Name: Chahiksichahiks, means 'men of men' Tribes of the Pawnee Conferacy: Chaui, Kitkehahki, Pitahauerat, and Skidi Home Territories: Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma Language: Caddoan and Pawnee Alliances: United States Enemies: Lakota Point of Interest: Never fought against the United States, but always held up their part in the treaties (even when the US failed to do the same) Peoria Native Name: Peewaareewa, means 'comes carrying a pack on his back' Home Territories: Oklahoma Alliances: United States Enemies: Many northern tribes Point of Interest: There are no living members of the tribe who can speak the native language Ponca Also known as: Paneassa and Pani Native Name: Pánka or Ppán

kka Home Territories: Nebraska and Oklahoma Language: Omaha-Ponca Alliances: Kiansa, Omaha and Osage Enemies: Dakota Point of Interest: Were first Native Americans to be determined to be able to live under the same laws granted to other US citizens Quapaw Also known as: Akansea or Akansa, means 'land of the downriver people' Native Name: Ugákhpa, means 'downstream people' Home Territories: Indiana andOhio Sioux Tribe Sioux Tribe Native Americans were the first people to live in America.

Learn more about the Sioux tribe. On this Page: The Sioux used horses to catch buffalo, their main source of food. The Sioux, also known as the Dakota or the Lakota, were made up of seven different tribes that lived over a large area in the Great Plains of the United States. Their original territory included Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, and Minnesota. They were nomads, who migrated according to the season and the movement of the buffalo, their main food. The Sioux originally grew crops, but once they moved onto the plains, their primary food became the buffalo. They grew very few crops, and mostly traded weapons and meat with other tribes for corn. Sioux women were never chief, but they were in charge of the house. They gathered berries and plants for food and created clothes and crafts such as the ones shown in the picture. A man in the Sioux tribe would usually be awarded the title of "Chief" as recognition for brave or outstanding behavior. However, the chief did not make decisions for his tribe. Instead, a tribe council, and sometimes even the entire tribe, would vote on what to do in a situation. Women were allowed to vote and owned property in the Sioux tribe.

Though men were expected to hunt and fight, women were in charge of the house. Children were considered sacred by the Sioux and were given a lot of attention. Sioux tepees were made of wooden sticks and sometimes up to fifteen buffalo skins stitched together. Buffaloes were used as food, clothing, housing, and weapons. Though they mostly ate buffalo, the Sioux also hunted elk and deer. They would tan the hides of these animals and use them as clothing. The women wore dresses, the men pants, breechcloths, and shirts, and all of them wore moccasins. Both men and women also wore their hair long. Sioux tepees, which were almost fifteen feet high, were made of buffalo-hide. Because the Sioux migrated often, their tepees were easily assembled and disassembled. The Sioux used shields, bows and arrows, spears, and clubs while hunting and fighting. Shields and bowstrings were usually made from buffalo. Since the Sioux were animistic, their rituals were to nature and the sun. For the Sioux, war was a major part of their lives, and an initiation rite for young Sioux men included getting a scalp.

In addition to beadwork, quillwork, and pottery, the Sioux created buffalo-hide paintings, which most Sioux women wore. The Sioux told many legends to explain the world around them and to teach their children. They were also animistic, which meant that they believed in the power of nature. For this reason, they performed many tribal dances in honor of the sun and other parts of their environment. The Sioux also believed that white buffaloes were the most sacred animals in the world, and therefore never hunted them. Chief Sitting Bull, a medicine man and a warrior, led theSioux against the settlers. He and his son, along with other followers, were shot when the Indian Police were trying to arrest him. When French settlers first arrived, the Sioux were forced to move further west onto the plains, where they split into seven different clans. Later, gold was found in the Black Hills, leading to a gold rush in Sioux territory. Led by brave chiefs (including the famous chiefs Sitting Bull and Red Cloud), the Sioux resisted American attempts to take their land. At first, the Americans tried to convince the Sioux to sell their land. When this failed, they decided to take the land by force.

Native American History for Kids: Tribes and Regions History >> Native Americans for Kids Native Americans were often grouped into tribes or nations. These groupings were generally based on peoples that shared the same culture, language, religion, customs, and politics. There are over 1000 Native American Tribes in the United States. Sometimes tribes were also grouped by the region of the United States they lived in (like the Great Plains Indians) or by the type of language they spoke (like the Apache). Below are some of the major groupings and tribes. Classification of Indigenous Peoples of North America by Nikater By Region Arctic/Subarctic - These Native Americans survived some of the coldest weather on the planet. They include the Inuit people of Alaska who lived primarily off of whale and seal meat. Californian - Tribes living in the area that is today the state of California such as the Mohave and the Miwok. Great Basin - This is a dry area and was one of the last to have contact with Europeans. The Great Basin tribes include the Washo, Ute, and Shoshone. Great Plains - One of the largest areas and perhaps most famous group of American Indians, the Great Plains Indians were known for hunting bison.

They were nomadic people who lived in teepees and they moved constantly following the bison herds. Tribes of the Great Plains include the Blackfoot, Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Comanche and Crow. Northeast Woodlands - Includes the Iroquois Indians of New York, the Wappani, and the Shawnee. Northwest Coast/Plateau - These Native Americans were known for their houses made of cedar planks as well as their totem poles. Tribes include the Nez Perce, Salish, and the Tlingit. Southeast - The largest Native American tribe, the Cherokee, lived in the Southeast. Other tribes included the Seminole in Florida and the Chickasaw. These tribes tended to stay in one place and were skilled farmers. Southwest - The southwest was dry and the Native Americans lived in tiered homes made out of adobe bricks. Famous tribes here include the Navajo Nation, the Apache, and the Pueblo Indians. Other Major Groups Algonquian - A large group of over 100 tribes that speak the Algonquian languages.

They spread across the entire country and include tribes such as the Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Mohicans, and the Ottawas. Apache - The Apaches are a group of six tribes that spoke the Apache language. Iroquois - The Iroquois League was a grouping of five Native American Nations: the Seneca, Onondaga, Mohawk, Oneida, and Cayuga. The Tuscarora nation joined later. These nations were located in the Northeastern part of the United States. Sioux Nation - The Great Sioux Nation is a group of peoples generally called the Sioux. They are divided into three major groups: Lakota, Western Dakota, and Eastern Dakota. The Sioux were Great Plains Indians. Activities Take a ten question quiz about this page. Listen to a recorded reading of this page: Your browser does not support the audio element.

For more Native American history: Culture and Overview Native American Tribes of Canada History of Native American Tribes Native Americans Tribes Canadian Region: Tribal History Below are brief descriptions about the tribes that artist Dave McGary focuses on in his bronze sculptures of the people of the Canadian region of Native America: Algonquian Family Tribes of the Algonquian Family: In the West – Siksika, Kainah, and Piegan; Arapaho and Cheyenne; in the North – Chippewa group, Ottawa, Chippewa, Missisauga, Algonkin group, Nipissing, Temiscaming, Abittibi, and Algonkin; Northeast – the Montagnais group, composed of the Nascapee, Montagnais, Mistassin, Bersiamite, Papinachois, Micmac, Malecite, Passamaquoddy, Arosaguntacook, Sokoki, Penobscot, and Norridgewock; Central – Menominee, Sauk, Fox, Kickapoo, Mascouten, Potawatomi, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Tamaroa, Michigamea, Miami, Piankashaw

, and Wea; Eastern – Pennacook, Massachuset, Wampanoag, Narraganset, Nipmuc, Montauk, Mohegan, Mahican, Wappinger, Delawares, Shawnee, Nanticoke, Conoy, Powhatan, and Pamlico Home Territories: Eastern Canada, Quebec, Maine, New England, Ohio, the Great Lakes, Mississippi, Tennessee, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, the Rocky Mountains, Western Ontario and the Canadian Prairies Languages: Multiple Enemies: Iroquoian Confederacy Point of Interest: They were a mobile group who would move to areas with the most resources.

Arapaho Native Name: Iñunaina, means 'our people' Home Territories: Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and Oklahoma Language: Arapaho Point of Interest: In later years became fur traders Assiniboin Also known as: Asiniibwaan, means 'Stone Sioux' Native Name: Hohe Nakota Home Territories: Northern Great Plains of America and Canada Language: Lakota Point of Interest: A semi-nomatic tribe that hunted bison and sold their hides Atsina Tribes of the Atsina: Also known as the Gros Ventres Native Name: A'ani or A'aninin, means 'white clay people' Home Territories: Montana and South Saskatchewan Language: Atsina Alliances: Blackfeet and then later allied with the Crow; possibly with the Arapaho Enemies: Assiniboine, Cree and Blackfeet (when the Atsina allied themselves with the Crow) Point of Interest: Due to the acquisition of guns by their enemies, they were forced north into Canada.

Chippewa Also known as: Ojibwa, Ojibway, Ojibwe and the Chippeway Native Name: Bāwa'tigōwininiwŭg, means 'people of the Sault' Home Territories: Michigan, northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota Language: Anishinaabemowin or Ojibwemowin Alliances: Ottawa and Potawatomi peoples Enemies: Iroquois Confederacy and the Sioux Point of Interest: Known for birch bark canoes, wild rice, copper points, and their use of guns from the British to defeat the Dakota and the Sioux Cree Also known as: Iliniw, means 'person' Native Name: Nēhilawē, means 'those who speak our nation's language' Home Territories: Canada, Minnesota, North Dakota and eventually Montana Language: Cree Point of Interest: Known to be one of the largest tribes in North America Crow Also known as: Absaroka or Apsáalooke, means 'children of the large-beaked bird' Home Territories: North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming Language: Crow Enemies: Siksika and the Dakota Point of Interest: Known for very large tipis that could accomodate mattresses and

 a fire pit Dakota Also known as: Eastern Sioux, Nakota and Lakota Native Name: Dakota, means 'Allies' or 'Friends' Home Territories: Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Carolina, Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan Language: Lakota Points of Interest: Known for their bravery Haida Also known as: Iliniw, means 'person' Native Name: Xa'ida, means 'people' Home Territories: British Columbia and Alaska Language: Haida Enemies: Other indigenous tribes, Canada and the United States Point of Interest: Known for skill in boat-based warfare Hidatsa Native Name: Nuxbaaga, means 'original people' Home Territories: North Dakota Point of Interest: Often intermarried with their Mandan ally Huron Native Name: Wendat, or 'Dwellers of the Peninsula' or 'Islanders' Home Territories: Ontario, Quebec, Ohio, Oklahoma, Michigan and Kansas Language: Wendat Alliances: Delawares and Munsees Enemies: Iroquois Point of Interest: Consisted of 4 tribes (Attignaouantan – 'Bear people', the Attigneenongnahac – 'Cord people', the Arendahronon – 'Rock people', and the To

hontaenrat – 'White-eared' or 'Deer people') Iroquois Confederacy Native Name: Haudenosaunee, means 'People of the Longhouse' Home Territories: Northeast United States and Midwest Language: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora 6 Nation Alliance: Tuscarora, Oneida, Mohawk, Seneca, Onondaga and Cayuga Enemies: The Huron and the Algonquin Point of Interest: Through conquering other tribes, thy sought to incorporate these conquered peoples into the Iroquois Confederacy Kutenai Native Name: Kútonâqa, possibly means 'the water people' Home Territories: Idaho, Montana, Washington and British Columbia Language: Kootenai Point of Interest: Were forced into the mountains by the Blackfeet and famine Tionontati Dakota Tribe - Access Genealogy Dakota Tribe Enter a grandparent's name to get started.

Start Now Dakota Indians (‘allies’). The largest division of the Siouan family , known commonly as Sioux, according to Hewitt a French Canadian abbreviation of the Chippewa Nadowe-is-iw, a diminutive of nadowe, ‘an adder,’ hence ‘an enemy.’ Nadoweisiw-eg is the diminutive plural. The diminutive singular and plural were applied by the Chippewa to the Dakota, and to the Huron to distinguish them from the Iroquois proper, the true ‘adders’ or ‘enemies.’ According to Chippewa tradition the name was first applied to a body of Indians living on an island somewhere east of Detroit. Dakota, Nakota, Lakota are the names used by themselves, in the Santee , Yankton , and Teton dialects respectively. J. O. Dorsey, in his classification of the Siouan languages, divides the Dakota group into 4 dialects: Santee, Yankton, Assiniboin, and Teton. The Assiniboin , however, constitute a separate tribe.

The close linguistic relation of the divisions the differences being largely dialectic indicates that they are branches of an original group, the development probably being augmented by incorporations. At the time of Long’s expedition (1825), when the bands were still near their respective localities, the country inhabited by the group was, according to him, bounded by a curved line extending east of north from Prairie du Chien on the Mississippi, so as to include all the east tributaries of the Mississippi, to the first branch of Chippewa river; thence by a line running west of north to Spirit lake; thence west wardly to Crow Wing river, Minn., and up that stream to its head; thence west wardly to Red river, and down that stream to Pembina; thence south west wardly to the east bank of the Missouri near the Mandan villages; thence down the Missouri to a point probably not far from Soldiers river; thence east of north to Prairie du Chien, Wis. This tract includes the territory between lat. 42° to 49°, and long.

90° 30′ to 99° 30′, but omits entirely the vast region occupied by the various bands of the Teton Sioux west of the Missouri from the Yellowstone southward to the Platte. The first positive historical mention of this people is found in the Jesuit Relation for 1640, where it is said that in the vicinity of the “Nation des Puans” ( Winnebago ) are the “Nadvesiv” (Nadowes Sioux), “Assinipour” (Assiniboin), etc. In the Jesuit Relation for 1642 it is stated that the Nadouessis are situated some 18 days’ journey northwest or west of Sault Ste Marie, “18 days farther away.” According to their tradition, the Chippewa first encountered the Dakota at Sault Ste Marie. Dr Thomas S. Williamson, who spent several years among the Dakota of the Mississippi, says 1Schoolcraft, Ind. Tribes, 1, 247, 1851 that they claimed to have resided near the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers.

for several generations; that before they came to the Mississippi they lived at Mille lac, which they call Isantamde, ‘knife lake,’ from which is probably derived the name Isanyati, ‘dwelling at the knife, by which the Dakota of the Missouri call those who lived on Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. Rev. A. L. Riggs asserts that Isanyati, from which Santee is derived, was properly applied only to the Mdewakanton, which would seem to identify this tribe with Hennepin’s Issati. He also remarks that most of these Indians with whom he conversed could trace their history no further back than to Mille lac, but that some could tell of wars they had with the Chippewa before they went thither and trace their history back to Lake of the Woods. He adds that all their traditions show that they came from the northeast and have been moving toward the southwest, which would imply that they came from some point north of the lakes.

DuLuth (1678) and Hennepin (1680) found some of the Dakota at and in the region of Mille lac, named by the latter in his text Lake Issati, and in his autograph map Lake Buade. These included the Mdewakanton, part of the Sisseton, part if not all of the Wahpeton, and probably the Wahpekute. Hennepin’s map places the Issati (Mdewakanton) close to Lake Buade, the Ofia de Battons (Wahpeton) a little to the northeast of the lake, the Hanctons (Yankton or Yanktonai) some distance to the north, and the Tinthonha or Gens des Prairies (Teton) to the west, on the upper Mississippi. If this may be considered even approximately correct, it indicates that parts at least of some of the western tribes still lingered in the region of the upper Mississippi, and indeed it is well known that very few of the Sioux crossed the Missouri before 1750. Mallery’s winter count 2Mallery, 10th Rep. B. A.

E., 266, 1894 places their entrance into the Black Hills, from which they dispossessed the Cheyenne and the Kiowa , at about 1765. Referring to their location in the latter part of the 17th century, Hennepin 3Hennepin, Descr. La., Shea trans., 201, 1880 says: ” Eight leagues above St. Anthony of Padua’s falls on the right, you find the river of the Issati or Nadoussion [Rum river], with a very narrow mouth, which you can ascend to the north for about 70 leagues to Lake Buade [Mille lac] or of the Issati where it rises.

In the neighborhood of Lake Buade are many other lakes, whence issue several rivers, on the banks of which live the Issati, Nadouessans, Tinthonha (which means ‘prairiemen’), Ouadebathon River People, Chongaskethon Dog, or Wolf tribe (for chonga among these nations means dog or wolf), and other tribes, all which we comprise under the name Nadonessiou.” Here the Issati are distinguished from the Tinthonha (Teton), Ouadebathon (Wahpeton), Chongaskethon (Sisseton), and Nadouessans (perhaps the Wahpekute). From the time of Le Sueur’s visit (1700) the Dakota became an important factor in the history of the northwest. Their gradual movement westward was due chiefly to tile persistent attacks of the Chippewa, who received firearms from the French, while they themselves were forced to rely almost wholly on bows and arrows. Lieut. Gorrell, an English officer, mentions their condition in this respect as late as 1763 4Gorrell, Wis. Hist. Soc.

Coll., 1, 36,1855 : “This day, 12 warriors of the Sous came here [Green Bay, Wis.]. It is certainly the greatest nation of Indians ever yet found. Not above 2,000 of them were ever armed with fire-arms, the rest depending entirely on bows and arrows and darts, which they use with more skill than any other Indian nation in North America. They can shoot the wildest and largest beasts in the woods at 70 or 100 yards distance. They are remarkable for their dancing; the other nations take the fashion from them.” He mentions that they were always at war with the Chippewa. On the fall of the French dominion the Dakota at once entered into friendly relations with the English. It is probable that the erection of trading posts on Lake Pepin enticed them from their old residence on Rum river and Mille lac, for it was in this section that Carver (1766) found those of the eastern group. He says 5Carver, Travels, 37, 1796 : “Near the river St.

Croix reside three bands of the Naudowessie Indians, called the River bands. This nation is composed, at present, of 11 bands. They were originally 12, but the Assinipoils [Assiniboin] some years ago, revolting, and separating themselves from the others, there remain only at this, time 11. Those I met here are termed the River bands, because they chiefly dwell near the banks of this river: the other 8 are generally distinguished by the title, Naudowessies of the Plains, and inhabit a country that lies more to the westward. The names of the former are Nehogatawonahs, the Mawtawbauntowahs, and Shahsweentowahs.” During an investigation by Congress in 1824 of the claim by Carver’s heirs to a supposed grant of land, including the site of St Paul, made to Carver by the Sioux, Gen. Leavenworth stated that the Dakota informed him that the Sioux of the Plains never owned any land east of the Mississippi. During the Revolution and the War of 1812 the Dakota adhered to the English.

There was, however, one chief who sided with the United States in 1812; this was Tohami, known to the English as Rising Moose, a chief of the Mdewakanton who joined the Americans at St Louis, where he was commissioned by Gen. Clark. By the treaty of July, 1815, peace between the Dakota and the United States was established, and by that of Aug., 1825, the boundary lines between them and the United States and between them and the various tribes in the northwest were defined. The boundaries of the Sioux and other northwestern tribes were again defined by the treaty of Sept. 17, 1851. Their most serious outbreak against the whites occurred in Minnesota under Little Crow in 1862, when about 700 white settlers and 100 soldiers lost their lives and some of the most horrible cruelties known to history were committed by the Indiana; but the entire Dakota group never participated unitedly in any of the modern wars or outbreaks. The hands engaged in the uprising mentioned were the Mdewakanton, Wahpekute, Wahpeton, and Sisseton.

Although this revolt was quelled and the Sioux were compelled for a time to submit tot he terms offered them, a spirit of unrest continued to prevail. By the treaty of 1867 they agreed to relinquish to the United States all their territory south of Niobrara river, west of long. 104°, and north of lat. 46°, and promised to retire to a large reservation in southwest Dakota before Jan. 1, 1876. On the discovery of gold in the Black Hills the rush of miners thither became the occasion of another outbreak. This war was participated in by such well known chiefs as Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Spotted Tail, Rain-in-the-face, Red Cloud, American Horse, Gall, and Crow King, and was rendered famous by the cutting off of Maj. Gen. George A. Custer and five companies of cavalry on the Little Bighorn, June 25, 1876. A final rising during the Ghost dance excitement of 1890-91 was subdued by Gen N. A. Miles. The Dakota are universally conceded to be of the highest type, physically, mentally, and probably morally, of any of the western tribes.

Their bravery has never been questioned by white or Indian, and they conquered or drove out every rival except the Chippewa. They are educated in their own language, and through the agency of missionaries of the type of Riggs, Williamson, Cleveland, and Cook, many books in the Dakota language have been printed, and papers in Dakota are issued regularly. 6See Pilling, Bibliog. Siouan Lang., Bull. B. A. E., 1887. Socially, the Dakota originally consisted of a large number of local groups or bands, and, although there was a certain tendency to encourage marriage outside the band, these divisions were not true gentes, remembered blood relationship, according to Clark, being the only bar to marriage. Personal fitness and popularity determined cieftainship more than heredity, but were decent played any part it was usually from father to son. The tipi might belong to either parent and was obtained by that parent through some ancestor who had had its character revealed in a dream or who had captured it in war. The authority of the chief was limited by the band council, without whose approbation little or nothing could be accomplished.

War parties were recruited by individuals who had acquired reputation as successful leaders, while the shamans formulated ceremonial dances and farewells for them. Polygamy Was common, the wives occupying different sides of the tipi. Remains of the dead were usually, though not invariably, placed on scaffolds.

In 1904 the Dakota were distributed among the following agencies and school superintendencies: Cheyenne River (Miniconjou, Sans Arcs, and Two Kettle), 2,477; Crow Creek (Lower Yanktonai), 1,025; Ft Totten school (Sisseton, Wahpeton, and Pabaksa), 1,013; Riggs Institute (Santee), 279; Ft Peck (Yankton), 1,116; Lower Brutes (Lower Brgle), 470; Pine Ridge (Oglala), 6,690; Rosebud (Brulé, Waglukhe, Lower Brulé, Northern, Two Kettle, and Wazhazha), 4,977; Santee (Santee), 1,075; Sisseton (Sisseton and Wahpeton), 1,908; Standing Rock (Sihasapa, Hunkpapa, and Yanktonai), 3,514; Yankton (Yankton), 1,702; Lakota, Dakota

, Nakota - The Great Sioux Nation Lakota, Dakota, Nakota - The Great Sioux Nation Sioux Indians, photo by Heyn, 1899.

This image available for photographic prints HERE! There was a time when the land was sacred, and the ancient ones were as one with it. A time when only the children of the Great Spirit were here to light their fires in these places with no boundaries... In that time, when there were only simple ways, I saw with my heart the conflicts to come, and whether it was to be for good or bad, what was certain was that there would be change. The Sioux are a confederacy of several tribes that speak three different dialects, the Lakota , Dakota and Nakota . The Lakota, also called the Teton Sioux, are comprised of seven tribal bands and are the largest and most western of the three groups, occupying lands in both North and South Dakota . The Dakota, or Santee Sioux, live mostly in Minnesota and Nebraska , while the smallest of the three, the Nakota, primarily reside in South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana .

The name Sioux derives from the Chippeway word "Nadowessioux" which means "Snake" or "Enemy." Other definitions trace it to early Ottawa (Algonquian) singular /na:towe:ssi/ (plural /na:towe:ssiwak/) "Sioux," apparently from a verb meaning "to speak a foreign language", however, the Sioux generally call themselves Lakota or Dakota, meaning "friends, allies, or to be friendly." The Sioux were a proud people with a rich heritage. They were the masters of the North American plains and prairies, feared by other tribes from the great lakes to the Rockies. Migrating west from Minnesota, the Sioux became nomads of the plains, taking advantage of horses which were originally brought to the Americas by the Spanish in the 1500s. Following the buffalo , they lived in teepees to allow them quick mobility. Though the Sioux were known as great warriors, the family was considered the center of Sioux life. Children were called "Wakanishaï¿½ which meant sacred and were the center of attention. While monogamy was most often practiced, Indian men were allowed to take on more than one wife.

However, infidelity was punished by disfigurement. The roles of men and women were clearly defined with the men expected to provide for and defend the family. Hunting was taken very seriously and infraction of the hunting rules could lead to destruction of a manï¿½s teepee or other property. Women were the matriarchs, ruling the family and domestic lives of the band. The Sioux were a deeply spiritual people, believing in one all-pervasive god, Wakan Tanka, or the Great Mystery. Religious visions were cultivated and the people communed with the spirit world through music and dance. Rituals of self-sacrifice, by inflicting slashes upon themselves or other self-inflicted wounds, asserted their identity as Indian warriors. This was also practiced by mourners during burial ceremonies. War and battles were another underlying principle of the Sioux people, because through it, men gained prestige, and their prestige was reflected in the family honor. The Lakota Sometimes also spelled "Lakhota,ï¿½ this group consists of seven tribes who were known as warriors and buffalo-hunters.

Sometimes called the Tetons (referring to their dialect and location west of the Dakota on the plains) the seven tribes include: Ogalala ("they scatter their own," or "dust scatterers") Sicangu or Brule ("Burnt Thighs") Hunkpapa ("end of the circle"), Miniconjou ("planters beside the stream"), Sihasapa or Blackfoot (Ntote confused with the separate Blackfoot tribe) Itazipacola (or Sans Arcs: "without bows") Oohenupa ("Two Boilings" or "Two Kettle") Sioux Tipis, 1902. This image available for photographic prints HERE! Fort Laramie painting by Alfred Jacob Miller, Walters Art Gallery. This band migrated west from Minnesota after the tribe began to use horses. There were about 20,000 Lakota in the mid 18th century, a number which has increased to about 70,000 today, of which approximately 1/3 still speak their ancestral language. The Lakota were located in Minnesota when Europeans began to explore and settle the land in the 1600s.

Living on small game, deer, and wild rice, they were surrounded by large rival tribes. Conflict with their enemy, the Ojibwa eventually forced the Lakota to move west. By the 1700s, the Lakota had acquired horses and flourished hunting buffalo on the high plains of Wisconsin, Iowa, the Dakotas, and as far north as Canada. The Tetons, the largest of the Lakota tribes dominated the region. As white settlers continued to push west onto Sioux lands and multiple treaties were made and broken, the Sioux retaliated, resulting in three major wars and numerous other battles and skirmishes. The first major clash occurred in 1854 near Fort Laramie , Wyoming , when 19 U.S. soldiers were killed. In retaliation, in 1855 U.S. troops killed about 100 Sioux at their encampment in Nebraska and imprisoned their chief. In 1866-1867, Red Cloudï¿½s War was fought that ended in a treaty granting the Black Hills in perpetuity to the Sioux.

The treaty, however, was not honored by the United States; gold prospectors and miners flooded the region in the 1870s. In the ensuing conflict, General George Armstrong Custer and 300 troops were killed at Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876, by the Sioux Chief Sitting Bull and his warriors. After that battle the Sioux separated into their various groups. The massacre by U.S. troops of about 150 to 370 Sioux men, women, and children at Wounded Knee in December 1890 marked the end of Sioux resistance until modern times. Today, the majority of the Lakota live at the 2,782 square mile Pine Ridge Reservation in southwestern South Dakota. The Dakota The Dakota Sioux , also called the Santee Sioux, originally migrated northeast into Ohio and Minnesota. The name "Santee" comes from camping for long periods in a place where they collected stone for making knives Woodland people, they thrived on hunting, fishing and some farming. It was from the Dakota, that the Lakota stemmed, moving further west into the great plains.

There are four bands in the Dakota tribe, who primarily live in South Dakota , Minnesota, Nebraska and North Dakota , including: Mdewakantonwon Wahpekute Sisseton In the 19th century, the railroads hired hunters to exterminate the buffalo herds, in order to force the tribes onto reservations. As the buffalo quickly came almost extinct, both the Dakota and Lakota were forced to accept white-defined reservations in exchange for the rest of their lands. Domestic cattle and corn were given to the Sioux in exchange for buffalo, making the Sioux dependent upon the government for food and payments guaranteed by treaty. Major Sioux Battles, map courtesy the History Channel Wounded Knee, South Dakota, 1890 Battle of Wolf Mountain, Montana: Site of Crazy Horse surrender 1877. In 1862, after a failed crop the year before and a winter starvation, the federal payment was late to arrive. The local traders would not issue any more credit to the Dakota and the local federal agent told the Dakota that they were free to eat grass.

As a result on August 17, 1862, the Sioux Uprising began when a few Dakota men attacked a white farmer, igniting further attacks on white settlements along the Minnesota River. The US Army put the revolt down, then later tried and condemned 303 Dakota for war crimes. President Abraham Lincoln remanded the death sentence of 285 of the warriors, signing off on the execution of 38 Dakota men by hanging on December 29, 1862 in Mankato, Minnesota, the largest mass execution in US history. The Nakota The Nakota, also known as the Yanktonai or Yankton Sioux, split from the Dakota and moved to the prairies in the region that is now southeast South Dakota. They were divided into three bands: Yankton who are now on the Yankton Reservation in South Dakota; the Upper Yanktonai who are split between the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota and the Devil's Lake Reservation in North Dakota; and the Lower Yanktonai who are split between the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota and the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana .

The Great Sioux Nation ï¿½What has been done in my country I did not want. Did not ask for white people going through my country. When the white man comes in my country He leaves a trail of blood behind him.ï¿½ -Red Cloud HISTORY OF THE OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE: The Oglala Sioux Tribe is part of the Great Sioux Nation of the Titowan Division. The Great Sioux Nation recognizes our land base in accordance with the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. The Great Sioux Nation extended from the Big Horn Mountains in the west to the eastern Wisconsin. The territory extended from Canada in the north to the Republican River in Kansas in the south. The Great Sioux Nation was reduced in the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty from the Big Horn Mountains in the west to the east side of the Missouri River, the Heart River in North Dakota in the north and the Platte River in Nebraska to the south. This includes the entire western half of South Dakota. The Black Hills are located in the center the Great Sioux Nation. The Black Hills are sacred to the Lakota/Dakota people and today considered an important part of our spiritual lives.

A direct violation of the 1868 Treaty was committed in 1874 by General George A. Custer and his 7th Cavalry. The 7th Cavalry entered the Black Hills, the center of the Great Sioux Nation and found gold in the Black Hills. The Gold Rush started the conflict between the United States and Great Sioux Nation. The Great Sioux Nation opposite this violation of the treaty. The United States Government wanted to buy or rent the Black Hills from the Lakota people. The Great Sioux Nation refused to sell or rent their sacred lands. The 7th Cavalry under General George A. Custer was requested to bring the Sioux bands in and place them on the reservation lands. On June 15, 1876, the Battle of the Little Big Horn between the 7th Cavalry and Lakota Nation with their allies Cheyenne and Arapahos at Greasy Grass, Montana took place. The Sioux Nation won a victory over General George A. Custer and his 7th Cavalry. Chief Gall ï¿½ Hunkpapa Sioux Edward S. Curtis The Great Sioux Nation scattered, some to Canada and others surrendered to the reservations.

The United States Government demanded that the Lakota nation move to the reservations. The people finally surrendered after being cold and hungry and moved on the reservations. The government still insisted buying the Black Hills from the Lakota people. The Sioux (Lakota) Nation refused to sell their sacred lands. The United States Government introduced the Sell or Starve Bill or the Agreement of 1877. The Lakota people starved but refused to sell their sacred land so the U.S. Congress illegally took the Black Hills from the Great Sioux Nation. The Allotment Act of 1888 allotted Indian lands into 160-acre lots to individuals to divide the nation. The Act of 1889 broke up the Great Sioux Nation into smaller reservations, the remainder of which exist today at about one half their original size in 1889. Many of the Lakota people began believed in the Ghost Dance experiences as the movement spread to the reservations. The U. S. Army feared the unity through prayer among the Tribes and ordered the arrest of Sitting Bull on the Standing Rock Reservation. In the process of the arrest Sitting Bull was shot by Indian Police on December 15, 1890.

Medicine Man Sitting Bull or Tatanka Iyotake - Hunkpapa Edward S. Curtis The Hunkpapa who lived in Sitting Bull's camp and relatives fled to the south onto the Cheyenne River Reservation. They joined the Big Foot Band in Cherry Creek, South Dakota then traveled to the Pine Ridge reservation to meet with Chief Red Cloud. The 7th Cavalry caught them at a place called Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890. The 7th Cavalry took all the weapons from the Lakota people. The 7th Cavalry massacred 300 people at Wounded Knee and left the bodies to freeze in the snow. The people of the Great Sioux Nation slowly recovered from this injustice and continue to survive in their homeland. Of all the reservations in the Dakotas, Pine Ridge is the one most noted on the National level. Several possible explanations for this recognition exist. First, in early reservation history Pine Ridge was the site of the 1890 tragedy at Wounded Knee Creek in which most of Chief Big Foot's band of Minneconjou Teton Sioux were annihilated by the Seventh Cavalry.

In more recent history, National media attention was focused on the 1973 armed occupation of the community of Wounded Knee by members of the American Indian Movement (AIM). Despite all the adversity encountered by the Oglala they remain a people of vitality, hopefulness, and with their cultural identity intact. Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux ï¿½ Black Elk BLACK ELK: EARTH PRAYER & THE SUNSET "I cured with the power that came through me. Of course, it was not I who cured, it was the power from the Outer World, the visions and the ceremonies had only made me like a hole through which the power could come to the two-leggeds." "If I thought that I was doing it myself, the hole would close up and no power could come through. Then everything I could do would be foolish." ï¿½ Black Elk Below are Links to Native American People/Tribes Pages

Question: Which native American tribe were also known as the Dakota?
Answer: SIOUX