DAKOTA SIOUX INDIANS IN IOWA

LAKOTA AND DAKOTA ARE DIFFERENT PRONUNCIATION. THERE ARE 13 SIOUX POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. SIOUX COMES FROM OJIBWA. MANY LAKOTAS AND DAKOTA SIOUX WHICH MEANS LITTLE SNAKES. MANY LAKOTAS USE SIOUX TO REFER TO THEMSELVES WHEN THEY'RE SPEAKING ENGLISH. THEIR ORIGINAL HOMELANDS WERE IN WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, SOUTH AND NORTH DAKOTA. THE SIOUX TRAVELED FREELY. TODAY MOST LIVE IN THE DAKOTAS, MINNEAPOLIS, NEBRASKA, AND SASKATCHEWAN. THE SIOUX HAVE 7 MAJOR TRIBES. EACH TRIBE HAS ITS OWN LAND AND LEADERSHIP AND MAKES DECISIONS SEPARATELY. THEIR POLITICAL LEADER IS CONSIDERED AN 'ITANCAN", OR CHIEF. THEIR LEADER CAN BE A MANOR A WOMAN.

NEARLY ALL DAKOTA SPEAK ENGLISH BUT 15,000 SIOUX ARE BILINGUAL AND SPEAK LAKOTA. AND DAKOTA PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. THE CHILDREN PLAY WITH EACH OTHER AND GO TO SCHOOL AND HELP AT THE HOUSE. MANY CHILDREN LIKE TO GO HUNTING. AND FISHING WITH THEIR FATHER. THE BOYS IN SOME BANDS LIKE TO PLAY LACROSSE AND CARRIED THEIR BABIES IN CRADLE BOARDS ON THEIR BACKS.

THEY LIVED IN BUFFALO HIDE TENTS CALLED TIPIS. TIPIS WERE EASY TO SET UP AND BREAK DOWN. TIPIS WERE 12 FEET HIGH. AFTER THEY GOT HORSES THEY BEGAN BUILDING THEM TWICE THAT SIZE. HERE ARE SOME TODAY THEY PUT THEM UP ONLY FOR FUN. MOST LIVE IN APARTMENTS OR HOUSES.

THE WARRIORS WERE WELL KNOWN FOR EXPRESSIVE FEATHERED WAR BONNETS BUT THEY DIDN'T WEAR THEM IN EVERYDAY LIFE. BOTH SIOUX MEN AND WOMEN WORE THERE HAIR LONG. THE CHIEFS WERE KNOWN FOR THEIR FEATHERED WAR BONNETS. THEY PAINTED THEIR FACES AND ARMS WITH BRIGHT COLORS AND ANIMAL DESIGNS. THEY USED DIFFERENT PATTERNS. SIOUX MEN AND WOMEN WORE THEIR HAIR LONG. THE CHIEFS FEATHERED WAR BONNETTS. THEY PAINTED THEIR FACES AND ARMS WITH BRIGHT COLORS AND ANIMAL DESIGNS. THEY USED DIFFERENT PATTERNS.

THEY KNEW HOW TO MAKE BIRCH BARK CANOES AND TRAVELLED ON FOOT TO HELP THEM CARRY BELONGINGS. ONCE THE ANGLOS INTRODUCED HORSES THEY FOLLOWED THE MIGRATION OF THE BUFFALO, MOST OF THEIR DIET WAS MEAT. IT INCLUDESDEER, ELK, AND BUFFALO AND THEY COOKEDIT INTO PITS OR ORIGINALTHEY WERE CORN FARMERS AS WELL AS HUNTERS, BUT THEY ACQUIRED HORSES AND AND GAVE UP FARMING FOR THE BUFFALO. THEY COOKED MEAT IN PITS. THEY SET UP CONTROLLED FIRES TO HEARD THE ANIMALS INTO THE TRAPSOR OVER CLIFFS. THEY TRADED REGULARLY WITH OTHER TRIBES. THEY USED A SIGN LANGUAGE FOR COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER TRIBES.

THE SIOUX AND OTHER TRIBES.

THE SIOUX AND OTHER TRIBES FOUGHT WARSWITH OTHER TRIBES TO PROVE THEIR COURAGE AND RARELY TO DESTROY THEIR VILLAGES. THE CUSTOMS WERE TOUCHING AN OPPONENT WITH OUT HARMING HIM, STEALING A HORSE OR WEAPON. THEY FORCED THE OTHER WARRIORSTO RETREAT.

SIOUX WOMEN ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR QUILLWORK AND BEADWORK. THEMEN PAINT BUFFALO HIDES. THEY MAKE POTTERY AND CARVED PIPES FROM CATINITE.

THEY HAVE MANY SIOUX LEGENDS AND FAIRY TALES. STORY TELLING IS IMPORTANT. THEIR RELIGION WAS VERY COMPLICATED . THEY USED SNARES, SPEARS, AND BOWS AND ARROWS TO HUNT ANIMALS.

BIG ORRIN.ORG