Dakota+Sioux

Dakota Sioux Indians Mrs. Benes Work together with your team to put your information that you find in this location. You will use this information to then combined all your artifacts and to get your quest finished.

location - The Dakota Sioux lived in various plain states. You would find their tribes located anywhere from what is now Wisconsin over to North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, and parts of Canada. While the Dakota Sioux don't inhabit Wisconsin, they are closely associated with the St. Croix Reservation located in the Western most part of Wisconsin.

shelter - The main shelter of the Sioux is the tipi (pronounced - teepee). This shelter is perfect for the nomadic life the Sioux lived. The Sioux needed to be able to move quickly and set up shelter quickly as well. Their tipis can usually be set up within an hour. It was considered the woman's job to take care of the home, including setting up and taking down the tipis.

customs- Both men and women would wear long hair. It would only be cut when they were in mourning. Feathers would be worn during dances or special occasions. Moccasins were common place to keep feet protected. Quill making, beading, and hide painting was a part of life.

food - The Sioux Indians are a hunter-gatherer group of people. They relied mainly on buffalo, deer,elk, fruit, potatoes, corn, and berries. The Sioux would trade with other tribes for goods. They would use the Plains Sign Language to communicate.

tools - The Sioux would use items such as arrows, spears, war clubs and snares to hunt and protect themselves with.

other fun facts - The Sioux word is really an Ojibway word meaning "little snakes". The Dakota tribe has taken the Sioux name and may still use it today in reference to their tribes. The Dakota can be Lakota or Nakota. The names all mean the same. It all depends on the location on the tribe and what dialect they use. Some other fun facts include children playing like we do today. They help out with chores, play with friends, and go to school. In addition, they enjoy hunting and fishing with their fathers. Storytelling is important in the Sioux life. Many stories deal with legend and Spirits. Most Sioux people used birchbark or dugout canoes to help travel. They would also use a type of sled called a dog travois. When Europeans came and introduced the horse, this means of transportation became the Sioux's main means of travel. The Dakota Sioux people live mainly in the plain states and act very much like modern life today.

Where Credit Is Due!

Information as gathered at:

Redish, Laura & Orrin Lewis. "Native Languages of Americas". Accessed on Jan 2, 2011. http://bigorrin.org/sioux_kids.htm.

Accessed on Jan 2, 2011 are Pictures linked from above citation as well as:

Dog Travois: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gP4ziXFuTpw/SzD0ywC6zFI/AAAAAAAAAJU/0UbcnZLUupE/s400/B+DogTravois.jpg.

Buffalo: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NHJT11ixdNU/TIlwCbpZ_gI/AAAAAAAAE1k/Jwwkmb9suRI/s1600/Buffalo.jpg

Snares: woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com