Lakota Native Americans: The Great Sioux Nation

Cherokee Indians have been around for many years, but when the topic of Native Americans is discussed it is only about the struggles and hardships they went through but never their actual culture of how and where they originated or how they came to be. There are many interesting things to learn about Cherokee Indians such as their heritage, religion, language, and their traditional songs, dances, and food.

The Native women were also responsible for raising the family. While being married to a trader, the wife was supposed to act as one of their wives from back home. Usually the wife/mother would wake up early in the morning and start the day such by making food or even preparing the furs for them to be sent back to Europe. Most women would also catch the food for the family, while their husbands were occupied with the trades. They were also responsible for raising their daughters and teaching them the general skills of a woman. The sons would also stay with their mothers at home. However, when they became men they would follow their fathers and learn the business.

The Lakota being the biggest of the three, are from the Great Plains, and are what most people imagine when they hear the term “Indian”, with feathers in their hair, riding on horseback chasing buffalo, and living in tepees. However, they didn’t always live on the plains, the Ojibwa had pushed them out of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and onto the plains area. Their society was patriarchal with each tiyospaye, their family unit, having a man as the head. The Lakota were also polygamists, taking several wives. Duties and responsibilities of each family member were generally based on sex and age. The men were the hunters, the women were responsible for camp duties, and the children were helpers, doing small tasks like gathering fuel for fire. The Lakota were very prosperous until the near annihilation of the buffalo by the Americans. This and land encroachment by pioneers due to U.S. government policies started the “Indian Wars”. A famous Lakota during these wars was the Chief Sitting Bull who defeated General Custer at The Battle of Little Bighorn. Eventually, the Lakota had all their land, including their sacred Black Hills, was taken from them and were placed on reservations. On the reservations they had to deal with ever changing federal policies that forbid sacred practices

The Sioux and Chippewa Indian tribes’ have a drastically different way of living compared to what other people are accustomed to in terms of their history, food , and their roles in their tribes. The Sioux Indians were originally from Asia, but migrated to America about 30,000 years ago. Their long, straight jet-black hair resembles that of the Asian descendants. The Sioux tribes were located in The Great Plains, which consists of 7 different states Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota; however, they were also known to live in parts of Nebraska, Illinois, and Montana. “The name Sioux is an abbreviation of Nadouessioux. (Britannica) The name was given to them by the Ojibwa (Chippewa). Sioux means, “Little snake”. The Sioux tended to follow the pattern of the buffalo, which is why they are found in multiple locations.

The Sioux and Chippewa Indian tribes’ have a drastically different way of living compared to what other people are accustomed to in terms of their history, clothing, tools, and weapons needed for survival. The Sioux Indians were originally from Asia, but migrated to America about 30,000 years ago. Their long, straight jet-black hair resembles that of the Asian descendants. The Sioux tribes were located in The Great Plains, which consists of 7 different states Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota; however, they were also known to live in parts of Nebraska, Illinois, and Montana. “The name Sioux is an abbreviation of Nadouessioux. (Britannica) The name was given to them by the Ojibwa (Chippewa). Sioux means, “Little snake”. The Sioux tended to follow the pattern of the buffalo, which is why they are found in multiple locations.

European Americans have commonly failed to recognize the plurality of American Indian groups, as they have classified all Indians as being in the same group of “natural beings” that wear feathers and ride on horses. However, there are many different American Indian groups and communities, and some groups had further divisions, such as the Lakota. The Lakota were made of seven tribes, the Oglalas, Brulés, Minneconjous, Hunkpapas, Two Kettles, Sihasapas, and Sans Arcs (7). Out of these, the Oglalas and the Brulés got the most attention, as they spent the most time in the Black Hills out of the tribes; however, the other tribes were definitely affected by United States policy too as the Europeans set up forts all over their territory (13).

The male had to show the woman’s father his skills as a hunter or warrior. If the father was impressed and approved of the marriage, the man and woman would exchange gifts of horses and clothing and were considered married. The married couple would reside in their own tipi or with the husband’s family. Although the man was permitted more than one wife, typically he only chose one. In cases of more than one wife, quite often the male would choose a sister of the wife, believing that sisters would not argue as much as total strangers

This was a very sharp contrast to the Europeans, whom had for centuries, been the top of their social hierarchy. In Europe, the women had a very relatively primitive, limited role in society. They were not allowed to attend or partake in political affairs, with very few exceptions. Now, on the other hand, in Indian society there was a council of chiefs, whom was all male, but they were appointed by an elder women. Also, during their deliberation over issues, the males made the final decision, but would be expelled from the council, if they didn't conclude to the same decision that the elder woman came to. The women's main job in Indian society, was being in charge of cultivation of, harvest of, and distribution of food. When the men left to go hunting, women were left to run society. The Europeans simply believed that the males were far superior to the family, which is why women could not have jobs, and were left to only clean, cook, and various other household chores.

The word Sioux stands for “little snake”, this name is from the Chippewa Warriors because The Sioux Indians had long black hair, which is from their Asian

At the same time there is a certain amount of equality between the men and women. Women can perform much of the same tasks that the opposite sex does without much, if any, chastisement or ridicule. Females have about just as much say when it comes to the inner workings of the society like marriages, child rearing, child birth, and ownership of goods and land. Most females are the initiators of divorce as explained in the book. Sexual equality is probably the most apparent amongst the tribesmen and women. Women are at times are forthcoming in their wants and needs when it comes to their sexual appetites and advances.

The Lakota Indians, are sometimes known as the Sioux, but they call themselves the Lakota, which is translated as ‘friend’ or ‘ally’ in their native tongue. Their description of themselves make sense when looking at their seven virtues that they live by, “These are Wóčhekiye (Prayer), Wóohola (Respect), Wówauŋšila (Compassion), Wówičakȟe (Honesty), Wówačhaŋtognaka (Generosity), Wówaȟwala (Humility) and Wóksape (Wisdom) (“Lakota Today”). A culture’s idea of the most importance qualities a good person should have gives a good idea of what kind of people they are. The Lakota’s virtues all revolve around a general concept of respect for everything, compassion, humility, and honesty. These things can either refer to their fellow man, or

1. Native Americans were people who lived in the Western Hemisphere thousands of years before the first Europeans. Native Americans developed diverse cultures and had many different groups that ranged from the Maya to the Aztecs to the Incas to the Hopis and to the Anasazi. In Central America the Aztecs had a large powerful empire, while along the eastern coast of North America Indians lived in smaller tribes and invested in both agriculture and hunting and gathering. They showed genuine respect for and adapted well to their environment.

The Sioux nation was divided into 7 groups. They were known as the 7 council fires. Each council fire had its own leaders and own group of families that always camped together. The largest Council Fire lived on the western plains. It was so big it was divided into 7 groups. It was called the Teton Sioux. They spoke the Lakota dialect of the Sioux language.

The buffalo provided the tribe with everything they needed - food, clothes and their tepees. The Siouan men wore face paint for religious ceremonies.” The tribes religion is Animism, which is when people believe that all natural things has a soul. The tribe believed in Manitou the great spirit. The land consisted of “grass covered prairies with streams and rivers.

Lakota is a Siouan language, which spoken by its people (Lakota people) belonging to the Sioux tribes. It is one of the dialects of the Sioux language, the others being Dakota and Nakota (Powers, 2009). The term Sioux originated from Nadowe Su which means “Little Rattle” from the rattling sound made by snakes before they bite. Later, Nadowe dropped, and French trappers and traders changed Su to Sioux. Spoken by more than 30,000 people in the US and Canada and it, therefore, takes number five of the most spoken native languages in the United States.