On the wind-swept plains of South Dakota, you can almost imagine what life was like hundreds of years ago... at a time when the Sioux called the land their own:
Long before the first white settlers reached North America, the Sioux were a proud people known for their bravery and their code of honour. Their territory was the Great Plains we know as South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Montana.
Some groups lived in semi-sedentary villages, while most roamed the plains in a seasonal cycle following the herds of buffalo and other game.
Their lives were close to the land and nature. Because of this, they felt all things--from the sun's rays to the smallest ant--were the work of the Wakan Tanka, the Grandfather Spirit, the Great Mystery Power. The sky, sun, and winds were all part of the Great Spirit. They believed he was in them also. Their lives were guided by a very personal relationshi[p with the Great Spirit, which intimately tied them to every aspect of nature.
Hunting was a matter of life and death for the nomadic Sioux. They moved from place to place following the game. Buffalo were hunted in the summer and fall. They would set up campsites along a river and always in an area that was easily defendable. The women were responsible for setting up the large buffalo hide tipis.
During the summer they would gather for ceremonial hunts. The women would prepare for the winter by collecting fruits and plants to be dried, while the men hunted. It was a time of peace and plenty. Food was dried and stored for the long hard winters that would soon come. In addition to buffalo and other game, the Sioux diet included wild rice, beans, turnips, cactus buttons, wild grapes, raspberries, willow buds, choke cherries, gooseberries, bird eggs and fish. Wansa, a cake made from ground meat and fruit, was a special treat.
Roots and herbs were also collected for medicine. The wicisa, or medicine men, attained a high level of expertisse in the art of medicine. They set broken bones, cured illnesses , and treated wounds with their vast knowledge of plants.
Summer was also the time for the Sundance, a ritual to help maintain tribal unity. The Sundance was a shared spiritual experience, lasting for 12 days, in which the warriors would test their bravery and asked the Great Spirit for protection. The entire tribe took part in this ceremony and it is still practiced today as an important link between the past and the present.
Winter was a time of hunger if provisions had not been made in spring or summer. With less game to hunt, the large bands seperated into smaller groups and moved their camps to the valleys or forests to escape the harsh winter.
Winter was also a time for family. Children played with buffalo rib sleds, games similar to dice were played by both men and women, stories were told, legends and history were passed down. The Sioux did not have a written language, so the oral tradition was an important way for preserving knowledge. Legends gave the Sioux an understanding of their place in the world. It gave them a refernce of why certain things were done, an dwhy certain behaviours were not accepted.
In addition to the oral tradition, they used pictures and symbols to record family events. These symbols were often painted on the family's tipi. Time was recorded by the seasons. The years were counted by the winters that passed. This was known as the Winter Count. Months were counted by the full moons and each moon had a certain name, for example, the "moon when the deer shed their antlers" was December. A hunter's journey was not counted by the number of days he was away, but by the "sleeps".
Families were an important part of Lakota society. Each member had an important title. No child ever felt unloved or un-wanted because there were always relatives around and they always had a home. The family was an extended one, with grandparents, uncles and aunts, all assuming the role of the parent. At birth, each child was given a second set of parents.
The wisdom of the elders was passed down to the next generation. The children learned by watching and imitating. The young men learned to hunt and trap and fish from fathers and uncles, while the young women learned to cook, sew and preserve foods from mothers and aunts.
Because the Sioux depended on one another for their survival, each member was treated with great respect. This was best shown in the giveaway ceremony. This was used to honour an individual. Basiclly, it was a big party in which each person brought a gift for the person being honoured. The more important the person, the more imortant the gift. After much singing and dancing, each person who gave a gift was then honoured by receiing one of the gifts in return.
The buffalo was an important element in the Sioux way of life. It was life itself to the Plains Indians. They hunted it with reverence, never killing more than what was needed. Everything they neede for survival, except water and the long poles for tipis, could be provided by the buffalo. It provided hides for clothing, shelter and blankets, meat for food, bones for arrow tips or fish hooks or ceremonial objects. The buffalo was a gift from the Great Spirit and nothing was wasted. It was so important to everyday life, that a boy was not considered a man until he killed his first buffalo.
The introduction of the horse by the Spanish in 1541 shaped the Sioux life. Among the Sioux, war ponies were given special recognition, just like the warriors who rode them. They were often decorated and painted with symbols of bravery and victories. Because of the horse, hunting and travelin were much easier.
The pipe was a powerful and sacred symbol. It represented a link between the Great Spirit and man. The red stone pipe bowl represented the Earth, the stem was the soil's bounty and the smoke was the breathe of the Great Spirit. No ceremony was complete without the sharing of the sacred pipe.
In good weather the families spent much or their time outdoors. Their home was a tipi. It was made from buffalo hides sewn together and stretched over a frame of long sturdy poles. These poles were highly prized as tall straight trees were scarce. It could withstand the fierce prairie winds, yet light enough to be erected and taken down quickly. The tipi was a home and a sacred place, round like the sacred circle of life itself.
The eagle feather was a symbol of status and power. When notched, clipped or dyed, each feather had a special meaning. Feathers with a red spot painted on them meant a warrior had killed a foe in battle. Warriors wore feathers in theri hair and when they had been awarded enough a bonnet was made.
Not everything in life was work, however. The Sioux used things they found in nature to ornament their clothing and every day utensils. Porcupine quills were often dyed bright colours and woven into intricate designs. Beads were an important trade item. The Sioux soon became masters at the art of beadwork. Today they are best known for their beadwork and quilting.
