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Sioux Indian Culture Biography
The Sioux Wars tell the dramatic story of a people attempting to retain their way of life, but finally falling to overwhelming odds and the destruction of their food source. The wars had five distinct phases, the first beginning soon after the signing of the Ft. Laramie Treaty of 1851. This treaty had allowed safe passage for white setters along the Oregon Trail. An unfortunate incident broke the peace. A cow escaped from a Mormon party in 1854 and it wandered into a Sioux (Brule) camp. The Mormons searched for it, and became afraid upon seeing Indians. They returned to their own camp and reported the incident to the army at Ft. Laramie, telling the soldiers the cow had been stolen.
Lt. John Grattan led a force into the village and tried to arrest the man whom he insisted had killed the cow. When the man claimed innocence and refused to turn himself in, Grattan ordered cannons to be fired upon the Indians. Chief Conquering Bear, spokesman for the Sioux, was killed. The Sioux were so incensed they launched a counter attack and killed the entire detachment. In retaliation, in September of 1855, General William S. Harney took 600 troops and overran a Brule village at Blue Water, killing 85 people and taking 70 women and children captives.
In the east, the Santee Sioux were inundated with white settlers constantly wanting more of their land and defrauding them. During a disagreement about how the situation was being handled, four braves killed five settlers. In August of 1862 the Santee Sioux opened the war with raids on white settlements and trading posts. Little Crow, chief of the Santee, led several assaults on Ft. Ridgely. The troops inside the fort fired howitzers at the Indians, killing as many as 100 warriors. The Santee continued to raid, drawing the ire of General Henry H. Sibley who arrived at Ft. Ridgely with 1500 troops.
Little Crow led more successful raids, but finally Sibley moved against the Santee and at Wood Lake the warriors were no match for the artillery of the army. Many of the scattered Sioux escaped and fled to the Dakota Territory or further on to Canada. Those who stayed were ordered hanged by President Abraham Lincoln. On December 26, 1862 at Mankato, Minnesota, the largest mass execution in American history took place. Thirty-eight Santee Sioux were hanged. General Sibley continued to pursue the Santee remnants. In the spring of 1864 General Alfred Sully defeated a coalition of tribes at Whitestone Hill and Killdeer Mountain. Once again Native Americans paid dearly for trying to keep their lands.
The opening of the Bozeman Trail led to the Red Cloud War in the years following the Civil War. A new trail discovered by John Bozeman brought more miners and settlers to Montana. The trail shortened the trip from the east but went through the heart of the hunting grounds of the Cheyenne and Sioux. Oglala Tetons, Hunkpapa Tetons and Brule Tetons joined with the Northern Cheyennes and Northern Arapahos to raid white migrants and military patrols along the trail. In June of 1866 Red Cloud and other chiefs met with Army officers at Ft. Laramie to discuss the new trail. While some of the chiefs signed a non-aggression treaty, Red Cloud left to prepare for war. The army sought to reinforce Ft. Reno and to add two new forts, Ft. Phil Kearney and Ft. C.F. Smith to the Bozeman Trail route.As previously mentioned, the Sioux Indians practiced seven ceremonies as a part of their spirituality. The first of these was that of "The Keeping of the Soul." In order to reconcile the death of a loved one, this ceremony permits the resolution of things left undone and the healing of the spirit. It allows the transition of the deceased into the Spirit World. The second ceremony is called the "Sweat Lodge Ceremony" or the "Rite of Purification." This is a cleansing ceremony that takes place before an important event. Before the event, the individual must prepare by cleansing himself in the sweat lodge. The smoke from the sacred pipe, the heat from the fire in the sweat lodge, and ancient rituals that are performed release guilt, burdens and evil from the participant, bringing them closer to Wakan Tanka. The ceremonies known as "Vision Quests" are private, belonging only to the individual and the Creator. When the time for the vision quest arrives, the seeker will go into the sweat lodge for purification and then proceed to a vision quest site. Depending on the area, this could be a mountaintop, a forest or a desert. The Vision Quest helps the seeker to realize his oneness with all of life. The "Sun Dance" ceremony is yet another ritual performed in the Sioux culture. This ceremony involves fasting and dancing for four days. It is performed to offer thanks and honor to Wakan Tanka. Participants endure suffering, shedding their own blood, so that others will not suffer. This suffering can be symbolic, spiritual, or, as in the past, very real. In the past, one's skin was pierced with wooden pegs that were attached to a Sun Dance Pole. That individual would then dance around the pole until the skin would rip to release the wooden peg. The "Making Relatives" ceremony was used to establish a relationship between two people, much like an adoption. This ceremony was completed through prayer to Wakan Tanka and the exchange of food and smoke from the sacred pipe. The "Preparation of Womanhood" ceremony is a puberty ceremony that purifies a girl who has her first menstrual period. It prepares her for womanhood and childbirth. This is when the girl becomes a link to the preservation of the tribe. The final ceremony is the "Throwing of the Ball." This ritual expresses the belief that Wakan Tanka is a part of all things. This ceremony is performed only by women, and participants hold a ball and throw it in the direction of the four quarters of the universe. Today, other ceremonies have supplanted some of the original seven ceremonies taught by the Buffalo Calf Woman. The Sun Dance, Sweat Lodge and Vision Quest are still major ceremonies that are widely practiced however. These ceremonies are a huge part of the Sioux Indian culture.
The Black Hills is a very sacred location for the Sioux. Legend states that when the universe was created a song was given to it. Each part of the universe received a part of the song. In the Black Hills, however, this song can be found in its entirety. This is why many Sioux men and women go to the Black Hills each year for their Vision Quests. The Black Hills are believed to be the center of the universe by the Sioux culture.
The Sioux's culture can also be found in the foods they eat and clothes they wear. In the past, Sioux Indians ate buffalo (predominantly), bear, deer, antelope, turkey and hens. The Sioux also shared their food with the entire tribe. They wore clothes made from animal skins, with the women wearing long dresses and leggings. The men wore deerskin shirts and tight leggings. The clothes were often decorated with colorful bead and quill embroidery. Feathers, shells, animal claws, animal teeth, and paint could be found in the design and decoration of the Sioux clothes. Moccasins were worn for shoes. Today, you can find that the Sioux Indians still use some of the same ingredients in the preparation of their foods. A popular dish among the Sioux Nation is that of fry bread. Most Native Americans wear contemporary American and Canadian clothes in their daily life now. Unique American Indian clothing styles still exist today however. It is apparent that the Sioux Indians have a very rich and interesting culture.
Sioux Indian Culture Biography
The Sioux Wars tell the dramatic story of a people attempting to retain their way of life, but finally falling to overwhelming odds and the destruction of their food source. The wars had five distinct phases, the first beginning soon after the signing of the Ft. Laramie Treaty of 1851. This treaty had allowed safe passage for white setters along the Oregon Trail. An unfortunate incident broke the peace. A cow escaped from a Mormon party in 1854 and it wandered into a Sioux (Brule) camp. The Mormons searched for it, and became afraid upon seeing Indians. They returned to their own camp and reported the incident to the army at Ft. Laramie, telling the soldiers the cow had been stolen.
Lt. John Grattan led a force into the village and tried to arrest the man whom he insisted had killed the cow. When the man claimed innocence and refused to turn himself in, Grattan ordered cannons to be fired upon the Indians. Chief Conquering Bear, spokesman for the Sioux, was killed. The Sioux were so incensed they launched a counter attack and killed the entire detachment. In retaliation, in September of 1855, General William S. Harney took 600 troops and overran a Brule village at Blue Water, killing 85 people and taking 70 women and children captives.
In the east, the Santee Sioux were inundated with white settlers constantly wanting more of their land and defrauding them. During a disagreement about how the situation was being handled, four braves killed five settlers. In August of 1862 the Santee Sioux opened the war with raids on white settlements and trading posts. Little Crow, chief of the Santee, led several assaults on Ft. Ridgely. The troops inside the fort fired howitzers at the Indians, killing as many as 100 warriors. The Santee continued to raid, drawing the ire of General Henry H. Sibley who arrived at Ft. Ridgely with 1500 troops.
Little Crow led more successful raids, but finally Sibley moved against the Santee and at Wood Lake the warriors were no match for the artillery of the army. Many of the scattered Sioux escaped and fled to the Dakota Territory or further on to Canada. Those who stayed were ordered hanged by President Abraham Lincoln. On December 26, 1862 at Mankato, Minnesota, the largest mass execution in American history took place. Thirty-eight Santee Sioux were hanged. General Sibley continued to pursue the Santee remnants. In the spring of 1864 General Alfred Sully defeated a coalition of tribes at Whitestone Hill and Killdeer Mountain. Once again Native Americans paid dearly for trying to keep their lands.
The opening of the Bozeman Trail led to the Red Cloud War in the years following the Civil War. A new trail discovered by John Bozeman brought more miners and settlers to Montana. The trail shortened the trip from the east but went through the heart of the hunting grounds of the Cheyenne and Sioux. Oglala Tetons, Hunkpapa Tetons and Brule Tetons joined with the Northern Cheyennes and Northern Arapahos to raid white migrants and military patrols along the trail. In June of 1866 Red Cloud and other chiefs met with Army officers at Ft. Laramie to discuss the new trail. While some of the chiefs signed a non-aggression treaty, Red Cloud left to prepare for war. The army sought to reinforce Ft. Reno and to add two new forts, Ft. Phil Kearney and Ft. C.F. Smith to the Bozeman Trail route.As previously mentioned, the Sioux Indians practiced seven ceremonies as a part of their spirituality. The first of these was that of "The Keeping of the Soul." In order to reconcile the death of a loved one, this ceremony permits the resolution of things left undone and the healing of the spirit. It allows the transition of the deceased into the Spirit World. The second ceremony is called the "Sweat Lodge Ceremony" or the "Rite of Purification." This is a cleansing ceremony that takes place before an important event. Before the event, the individual must prepare by cleansing himself in the sweat lodge. The smoke from the sacred pipe, the heat from the fire in the sweat lodge, and ancient rituals that are performed release guilt, burdens and evil from the participant, bringing them closer to Wakan Tanka. The ceremonies known as "Vision Quests" are private, belonging only to the individual and the Creator. When the time for the vision quest arrives, the seeker will go into the sweat lodge for purification and then proceed to a vision quest site. Depending on the area, this could be a mountaintop, a forest or a desert. The Vision Quest helps the seeker to realize his oneness with all of life. The "Sun Dance" ceremony is yet another ritual performed in the Sioux culture. This ceremony involves fasting and dancing for four days. It is performed to offer thanks and honor to Wakan Tanka. Participants endure suffering, shedding their own blood, so that others will not suffer. This suffering can be symbolic, spiritual, or, as in the past, very real. In the past, one's skin was pierced with wooden pegs that were attached to a Sun Dance Pole. That individual would then dance around the pole until the skin would rip to release the wooden peg. The "Making Relatives" ceremony was used to establish a relationship between two people, much like an adoption. This ceremony was completed through prayer to Wakan Tanka and the exchange of food and smoke from the sacred pipe. The "Preparation of Womanhood" ceremony is a puberty ceremony that purifies a girl who has her first menstrual period. It prepares her for womanhood and childbirth. This is when the girl becomes a link to the preservation of the tribe. The final ceremony is the "Throwing of the Ball." This ritual expresses the belief that Wakan Tanka is a part of all things. This ceremony is performed only by women, and participants hold a ball and throw it in the direction of the four quarters of the universe. Today, other ceremonies have supplanted some of the original seven ceremonies taught by the Buffalo Calf Woman. The Sun Dance, Sweat Lodge and Vision Quest are still major ceremonies that are widely practiced however. These ceremonies are a huge part of the Sioux Indian culture.
The Black Hills is a very sacred location for the Sioux. Legend states that when the universe was created a song was given to it. Each part of the universe received a part of the song. In the Black Hills, however, this song can be found in its entirety. This is why many Sioux men and women go to the Black Hills each year for their Vision Quests. The Black Hills are believed to be the center of the universe by the Sioux culture.
The Sioux's culture can also be found in the foods they eat and clothes they wear. In the past, Sioux Indians ate buffalo (predominantly), bear, deer, antelope, turkey and hens. The Sioux also shared their food with the entire tribe. They wore clothes made from animal skins, with the women wearing long dresses and leggings. The men wore deerskin shirts and tight leggings. The clothes were often decorated with colorful bead and quill embroidery. Feathers, shells, animal claws, animal teeth, and paint could be found in the design and decoration of the Sioux clothes. Moccasins were worn for shoes. Today, you can find that the Sioux Indians still use some of the same ingredients in the preparation of their foods. A popular dish among the Sioux Nation is that of fry bread. Most Native Americans wear contemporary American and Canadian clothes in their daily life now. Unique American Indian clothing styles still exist today however. It is apparent that the Sioux Indians have a very rich and interesting culture.
Sioux Indian Culture
Sioux Indian Culture
Sioux Indian Culture
Sioux Indian Culture
Sioux Indian Culture
Sioux Indian Culture
Sioux Indian Culture
Sioux Indian Culture
Sioux Indian Culture
Sioux Indian Culture
Sioux Indian Culture
Sioux Indian Culture
Sioux Indian Culture
