Location, Homes, and Products:

 

The Native American tribe Lakota resided in the Northern Plains of North America, west of the Dakota tribe. Their location prior to 1640 was in eastern North and South Dakota and Minnesota. Life around this area for the Lakota was very stationary. The tribe were primarily hunter-gathers, they fished, hunted deer, buffalo, elk, antelope, and gathered wild rice. The Lakota did not grow crops, to take their place the Lakota traded with nearby farming tribes. Lakota moved west for multiple reasons: they were fleeing from whites who were approaching their region, conflict between surrounding tribes, and to move with large groups of buffalo which provided a necessary food source. From their new home the Lakota would travel to Parts of Arkansas’ hot springs. Here they would trade with other tribes and hunt local wildlife. The Lakota were nomadic, their homes were teepees which were simple to disassemble and were portable for when the tribe moved locations.

 

Government and Culture:

 

The Lakota’s Government Structure was fairly simple. The tribe was divided into seven ospaye, these groups were further divided into tiospayes, which are family groups. These groups consisted of a man, his brothers, cousins, and their family. These groups each elected a itancan which acted as a chief. The ospaye controlled their own land and made decisions based on the group. 

 

No organized religion based of writings was followed by the Lakota people. They believed in Wakan Tanka, or Great Mystery, who was one all-pervasive god. The people worshiped the God through dance, music, and many rituals such as: self-inflicting wounds and self-sacrifice. Lakota believed whenever a member of the tribe died they were returned to the spirit world. 

 

Men and women each had designated jobs that were enforced by tribal leaders. The men provided for the family, which included hunting under the leadership of the chief. Infraction of the hunting laws lead to specific consequences such as: destruction of a man’s teepee or other property. Women posed as matriarchs, they lead the family. The woman worked around the tribe, cooking, cleaning, making clothing, gathering, and building teepees.

 

Relations:

 

Lewis and Clark met with the Lakota tribe. During the time there was a lot of unease through the tribe. President Jefferson had informed Lewis and Clark that they must befriend the Lakota and create peace with them. This alliance must be established for the Government’s intention to build a fur trade network throughout the Northwest to help aid in maintaining peace with other Indian tribes in the plains. Lewis and Clark failed to complete their job, the Lakota rejected the piece offerings.

 

The Lakota tribe had enemy tribes of the Anishinabe and the Fox. Warfare was constant around the great lakes. Huron tribe entered into Lakota territory and were in result driven out. The Europeans began the trade of rifles with the Fox. Iroquois and Lakota united in order to end the trade route of these weapons. By the 1700, Lakota conflict and on going war with the Ojibwa subsequently forced the Lakota tribe to migrate west.

 

Noteworthy:

 

The Lakota are similar in relation to other Native american tribes, which formed the Sioux. The Sioux includes the Lakota, Sioux, and Dakota, who reside in eastern North and South Dakota, and Minnesota. The Lakota are also known as the Western Sioux and Teton, due to their geographic location in comparison to the Sioux, and because of the dialect of their language.

 

 

 

Sources:

 

"An Introduction to Lakota Culture and History | Dream-Catchers.org." DreamCatchersorg. Dream Catchers, n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2015. <http://www.dream-catchers.org/lakota-history/>. 

 

United States. National Park Service. "Lakota Sioux." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 18 Oct. 2015. Web. 19 Oct. 2015. <http://www.nps.gov/jeff/learn/historyculture/the-lakota-sioux.htm>. 

 

Weise, Kathy. "Lakota, Dakota, Nakota - The Great Sioux Nation." Lakota, Dakota, Nakota - The Great Sioux Nation. Legends of America, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. <http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-sioux.html>. 

 

"Who Are The Lakota." Who Are The Lakota. Smithsonian, n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2015. <http://wintercounts.si.edu/html_version/html/whoare.html>.

 

(Photo) Hamilton, James H. Touch the Clouds. Digital image. Lakota People. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakota_people#/media/File:Touch_the_Clouds_1877a.jpg>.

 

(Photo) Karl Bodmer. Funeral Scaffold of a Sioux Chief. Digital image. Sioux. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sioux#/media/File:Funeral_scaffold_of_a_Sioux_chief_0044v_crop.jpg>.

 

(Photo) Sioux. Digital image.LegendsofAmerica - Souix. Legendsofamerica, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/photos-nativeamerican/Sioux%20Indians%20on%20horseback,%20by%20Heyn,%201899-280.jpg>.