The Souix Nation is separated into three distinct, dialectical and cultural tribal groups: The Lakota, The Dakota and the Nakota. The origin of the name "Sioux" is a point of chagrin for these People, as it was a derivative of a word that the French borrowed from the Ottawa (Nadouessioux), and makes an obscure reference to a rattlesnake, little snake, or secondary enemy, which are insults to these People. All three names, Lakota, Dakota and Nakota mean "friend", or "ally".
Collectively, they are called Oceti Sakowin, meaning "Seven Council Fires" for each of the 7 nations that these People are comprised of. Today, there are separate tribal governments in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan. These people were originally situated in the eastern United States, but for some undocumented reason, migrated to the west. They were first noticed by Europeans in the 1640's in present-day Minnesota, as they were being driven west by the gun-toting Ojibwa. Once they reached the buffalo plains and the Black Hills and obtained horses, they became a formidable force, unchecked by the Pawnee, Crow and others. By 1805, they controlled a massive expanse of land from Wisconsin to beyond the Black Hills. They had become a the formidable force in north-central United States and south-central Canada. But, they were an open and friendly culture, accomodating their first contact with a white priest in 1640 and other Indians on the run. Having obtained rifles, with expansionism on their mind, Jesuit encroachment and under assault by the Ojibwa, things began to take a turn in the late 17th century. Conflict after conflict ensued. Sioux and French against other tribes; Sioux against the French. Sioux against the Jesuits. By 1763, the Sioux had 2000 armed warriors. In 1768, the Sioux's hereditary enemy, the Objiwa defeated the Sioux in an ambush and the British stepped in to make the peace in order to recruit both sides as allies in the up-coming war. This alliance worked well for the two tribes until the end of the war, when they returned to their warring ways. In 1805, first treaty between the Sioux with the United States was negotiated, which, of course, meant the surrendering of lands for forts. A series of five similar treaties were made and on July 15, 1815, The Sioux Nation surrendered to the sovereignty of the United States Government. The missionaries moved in and mass Baptisims were performed. The Sioux were being "civilized" and their territory was shrinking quickly. In 1837-38, Nature came to the call, by delivering smallpox to The People, killing approximately 30,000 of them. But this didn't stop the age-old war with the Objiwa and the Sioux did some serious killing. With this spirit, shrinking lands and omnipresent Missionaries, sentiment turned against Christianity and more blood flowed. In 1862, the "Minnesota Outbreak" occured, wiping out an entire settlement of 1000 whites to reclaim land. Christian Indians were also massacred. It took one month and 1500 soldiers to put down the revolt. Treaties were cancelled and an all-out assault at subduing the Sioux was underway, with major loss of life and dispersal of The People. The final blow came in 1864, when US troops over-whelmed the last of the hostile Santee, Yanktonai, and some northern Teton, at Kildeer Mountain on the Little Missouri. They were relegated to reservations, where they remain to this day. Various bands signed treaties. The Teton Sioux, to the west, refused to sign. In 1854 there was another massacre, when 29 soldiers were slaughtered, trying to arrest a Brulé Sioux for stealing a cow. This was the Ft Laramie Massacre and 1200 soldiers smothered and destroyed an entire Brulé village, killing 139 and burning the village down. To complicate matters, pioneers were forging their way diectly across buffalo grazing lands on their way to the California Gold Rush. In response to a Sioux protest, the government promised The People a parcel of land as large as the state of South Dakota and a new suit of clothes evey year for 30 years. A treaty was signed and hostiliies ceased. In 1876, the People surrendered the Black Hills and western territories. In 1877, there was a movement to bring all hostiles back to their reservations. Sitting Bull and his loyals fled to Canada. Crazy Horse came in. Within a month, all hostiles surrendered, including Sitting Bull, who returned to his home at Standing Rock. The swan song for the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota was the "Ghost Dance", a wide-spread frenzy based on verification of the return of The Messiah, who would rid the land of white people. In the Spring of 1890, in hopes of returning to their previous way of life, the dance spread from village to village and a religious frenzy ensued. 3000 troops were called in to "calm" the natives. Sitting Bull and 7 others were killed resisting arrest and the whole affair ended on December 29, 1890 at the battle at Wounded Knee Creek, where the Seventh Cavalry under Colonel Forsyth resulting in the knee-jerk slaughter of 150 Lakota. The estimated population of The People in 1850 was roughly 25,000. Today, the Sioux Nation is approximatley 153,360.
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