Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 6 CH A PT ERS FROM WOODLANDS TO THE PLAINS 9 BEING SIOUX ONE BISON 200 USES 11 BEING SIOUX PIPES AND PRAYERS 13 HOME ON THE PLAINS 17 BEING SIOUX BRAVE AS A KIT FOX 19 BEING SIOUX MAN VS EAGLE 25 EARLY ENCOUNTERS 27 BEING SIOUX TEACHING WHITE WAYS 29 BEING SIOUX GIVING IT ALL AWAY 31 NEW WAY OF LIFE 35 BEING SIOUX WOUNDED KNEE AGAIN 37 BEING SIOUX AT THE MOVIES 43 T R A DI T ION A L STORY THE SPIDER CRIES WOLF 44 R ESOU RCES ENDNOTES 46 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 47 READ MORE 47 WEBSITES 47 INDEX 48 Sioux chiefs gathered together in 1899 on page 3 a traditional Plains Indian tepee in Colorado pictured here
S I O UX PEOPLES of NORTH AMERICA Introduction The people we know today as the Sioux once galloped horses over the vast expanse of North America’s Great Plains Winds bowed head-high grasses in the eastern part of this region while farther west the short grasses crunched underfoot The fragrant scent of sage drifted through the air Aside from the cottonwood trees that grew along the banks of the region’s wide shallow rivers the landscape was unbroken But it wasn’t empty Elk pronghorn deer bears coyotes rabbits and prairie dogs made their homes here The Plains most distinctive animal was the bison commonly known as buffalo in the past Huge herds tramped through the grasses filling the landscape to the horizon In many ways the bison defined the Sioux lifestyle as the Indians trav eled the Plains in pursuit of these mighty animals The name Sioux comes from a French interpretation of an Ojibwa word meaning little snakes But the Sioux did not call themselves by this name Instead they referred to themselves as Dakota Nakota Yankton or Lakota depending on the band to which they belonged These names meant friends or allies Although they lived in separate bands the Sioux shared a common culture and religion When their way of life was threatened by set tlers in the 1800s the Sioux resisted Eventually though they were resettled on reservations There they struggled to hold on to their old ways while adapting to a new life Today their traditional culture remains a vital part of life for many Sioux people whether they live on the reservation or off South Dakota’s Custer State Park is home to approximately 1,300 bison 6
