Who
were the Sioux?
The Sioux Nation:
A nation is a group of people. These people
have a similar language, similar customs, and a similar or shared government.
The Sioux Nation was huge. Seven large tribes made up the Sioux Nation -
Wdewakanton, Sisseton, Teton, Wahpekute, Wahpeton, Yankton, and Yanktonai.
Plains People:
In olden days, the Sioux lived on the Great
Plains. Buffalo were plentiful. Like all Plains People, the Sioux depended
heavily on the buffalo for everything - food, clothing, shelter, and goods.
How did
they travel?
Horses:
Like all Plains People, the Sioux rode horses
for hunting and traveling.
Boats:
When the Sioux ran into a river or a stream,
they built a boat. They used hides, sewn onto round frames made of willow.
Once made, they might take a boat with them for a while, dragged along with
other goods. When the willow frames wore out, they removed the buffalo skins,
and burned the wood.
Travois:
The Plains People did not use wheeled vehicles.
Instead, they used a travois. A travois was a buffalo skin spread over two
long poles. Goods were piled on the buffalo skin. Horses pulled the travois.
The travois was usually nothing more than parts of their tipi. Instead of
dragging tipis, they set the tipis to work carrying goods.
What
did they eat?
Food:
The Sioux were hunters and gatherers. They hunted
buffalo, deer, and other animals. They gathered fruits and vegetables. Some
of the Sioux people also grew crops. The Three Sisters were the most important
crops - maize, squash, and beans. They also grew pumpkins. Food was often
traded between the various tribes.
Buffalo:
In the Sioux culture, a boy could hunt his first
buffalo at age 10. To a young boy, a single buffalo stands six feet tall,
and weighs about as much as 10 people. Buffalo do not see well, but they
run really fast. Can you imagine how a boy might feel, getting ready for
his first kill? He would be riding a pony. All around him, men would be yelling
to get the buffalo to run. Each would have picked out one buffalo to kill.
With his boy and arrow, in the midst of all this racket and danger, a ten
year old boy was expected to attempt a kill. There was no dishonor attached
if he was not successful, but he had to try. No part of the buffalo
was wasted.
Jerky:
Sioux woman made jerky by drying buffalo meat.
First, they pounded the meat into a powder. Then they added animal fat, and
let the mix dry. If jerky was made correctly, it remained safe to eat for
two years. The Sioux stored jerky, knowing it would be safe to eat for a
very long time. Jerky was portable. It allowed hunters to take food with
them.
What
did they wear?
Like all Plains People, the Sioux used all the parts of the animals
they killed. Nothing was wasted. Hunters brought back deer, elk, moose, sheep,
beavers, mountain lions, coyotes, and rabbits to name a few. Animals provided
food, clothing, and bags to hold arrows, medicines, and other goods. Even
the tinest scraps were kept and used over and over. If they could not find
a useful purpose for something, they used it decoratively.
Women:
The women wore dresses made from soft deerskin.
They used the soft fur from rabbits to decorate their clothing.
Men:
The men wore leggings and gloves. They rarely
wore shirts.
Moccasins:
Leftover scraps of deer and elk skin were
used to make moccasins. Scraps from other animal skins were used to
added decorative fringes to clothes and to moccasins.
Buffalo Robes:
The men wrapped buffalo furs over their
shoulders. They could not be buttoned or fastened. These fur garments were
called buffalo robes.
Jewelry:
Both women and men wore a lot of jewelry made
of sea shells, metal, and beads. The men wore necklaces and sometimes arm
bands. The women wore earrings and bracelets. Men had to earn the right to
wear a grizzly bear claw necklace through an act of bravery.
How did
they govern themselves?
Seven large tribes made up the Sioux Nation - Wdewakanton, Sisseton,
Teton, Wahpekute, Wahpeton, Yankton, and Yanktonai.
Village Councils:
Each village had a village council. Each village
council selected a chief. A chief served for life. In olden times,
women had no say in government.
-
All the adult men in a village were members of the Village Council.
-
The Village Council was divided into parts. Within the Council, men
broke up into smaller groups. Each group had a job to do. One group might
be in charge of law and order. Another might be in charge of village festivals.
-
The Council elected a chief.
-
Once a chief was elected, the chief assigned each group a responsibility.
One year, the chief might assign one group the job of making sure people
obeyed the laws of the tribe. The next year, the chief would assign that
job to a different group. This made sure that no one group became more powerful
than another.