Dakota History

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The term "Dakota" translates as "friends" or "allies". The Anishinabe (Ojibwe) referred to the Dakota in their language as "enemy". French traders used the last syllable of this term and labeled the Dakota; "Sioux". Today, they are known as both Dakota and Sioux.

The Dakota Nation includes the native peoples who once lived in the northern forests and along the upper Mississippi River in northern Minnesota. In time, the Dakota Nation divided into three groups (Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota), each moving in different directions, but still maintaining close ties to one another.

Those who are now considered in the Dakota division (which was the original name for all three groups) moved into the prairie lands in what is now southern and western Minnesota. There were concentrations of Dakota people along the  Minnesota River near and around such places as Traverse des Sioux, Mankato, and at the mouth of the Cottonwood River.  Others remained scattered throughout the landscape, living in woodlands and on the prairie. 

Food

The Dakota grew plentiful gardens of corn, pumpkins, beans, melons, "Dakota turnip" (tipsinna), and other vegetables which were either eaten raw, boiled, or roasted, dried, and stored for later use. For instance, tipsinna was ground into flour and made into little cakes. Some groups of Dakota harvested wild rice dependent upon seasonal availability and camp location. The Dakota also made syrup by tapping maple trees and collecting sap.

The Dakota diet consisted of food gathered from the wild, what was grown, and fresh or dried meat.  The Dakota supplemented their diet by hunting moose, deer, elk, muskrats, badgers, otters, raccoons, fish, pigeons, cranes, ducks, and geese according to their seasonal availability.  A favored hunting weapon was the bow.  Some bows were so strong that an arrow could pass entirely through a buffalo. All weapons were made individually for each hunter according to their height, stature, personal preference and personalized for identification during the hunt or battle.

The Dakota hunted American Bison seasonally as well.  Native peoples utilized the entire bison carcass for food, shelter, tools and equipment.  Some peoples living further west on the Great Plains depended upon the bison entirely for their existence.

Buffalo meat could be prepared in various ways.  Feasting usually occurred following a successful hunt. Fresh meat is generally preferred.  However, most buffalo meat was prepared for later use. Some was dried in the sun to make jerky. One way to preserve buffalo meat for future consumption was to make pemmican. To make pemmican, buffalo steaks were dried, laid on a large, flat stone, and pounded with smaller stone. When the meat had the consistency of a powder, it was mixed with melted fat or marrow and sometimes wild cherries. The mixture was put into hide bags with melted fat poured on top to seal it. Buffalo prepared in this way could keep for 3 to 4 years. When traders arrived in Dakota territory, the Dakota began to use salt to prepare their meat.

Shelter

The Dakota lived in tipis in small family arrangements during the winter and in bark-covered summer cottages in the summer.  Tipis were conical structures consisting of poles covered by hide or cloth. Sometimes as many as 16 to 18 buffalo hides were sewn together for use as a tipi covering. The number of hides used was dependent upon the diameter of the shelter.  The covering was held together by wooden pins.  Beneath these pins was a small opening used to enter and exit the tipi. A smoke hole in the top of the tipi allowed fires to be built inside.  The smoke flap could be opened and closed to control temperature, keep out rain and snow, and provide a comfortable living environment to those dwelling inside.

The Dakota's summer cottages were located at their usual summer camping place. Most of them were permanent structures. These structures were built of logs, poles, and bark.  They were large enough for a dozen or more people to fit inside.  Some Dakota lived in earth lodges. These huge piles of earth were hollow inside and featured a smoke hole and a framework of logs and poles. A grassy turf was used for the roof.

Clothing, Crafts

As mentioned above, buffalo hides were used to make robes, tipi covers, clothing, moccasins, bags, and carrying cases. The working of hides was generally done by women who would tan them, remove the hair if necessary, and transform them into useful items.

Dakota clothing was made of animal skins including buffalo, deer, and elk. The women would spend many hours decorating clothing with beads, bones, or other natural objects of beauty.  Producing clothing with intricate designs requires an impressive amount of time and patience.

Their moccasins were distinguished by the presence of seams around the edges of their soles. Winter moccasins were made of buffalo hide with the hair left on inside.

Celebration

Traditionally many bands would meet in the summer and engage in group activities including political council meetings, religious ceremonies, sporting events, marriages, and coming-of-age ceremonies. Summers were a special opportunity to see relatives who were members of other bands.

Travel

Because the Dakota initially had very few horses, dogs were used as pack animals when traveling. As time passed, the horse gained prominence and replaced the dog as a beast of burden. The Dakota would use a travois, the French word for shafts of a cart, for long distance travel. The travois was made of two long poles that were crossed and fastened above the shoulders of a dog or horse with the ends dragging behind.

For travel on water, the Dakota used dugout canoes made of logs. They would burn out the center of a log and scrape out the charred wood to create a place to sit.

Links

The content of this page was carefully researched, but the author is not an expert on Dakota culture.

If you are Dakota, your feedback is much appreciated.

Bibliography

Densmore, Frances

    1997  Dakota and Ojibwe People in Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society.

Minnesota Historical Society

    1970  The Dakota or Sioux. Gopher Historian Leaflet Series Number 5. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society.

Where we are today. Former link http://drivinghawk.com/today.htm (2009)

Images courtesy of Blue Earth County Historical Society, Sleepy Eye Chamber of Commerce

Edited by Michael Bergervoet, 2006

Page design by Sumit Kapali