Geography

The westernmost branch of the Sioux, the Lakota tribe, is located in North and South Dakota. Today, the Lakota community is spread among several reservations within these states. Of course, not all Lakota people have chosen to stay on the reservations, and those who have left are spread throughout the United States.

Types

There are seven subtribes of the Lakota. The Oglala, located on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and the Sicangu or Brulé, who are now on the Rosebud and Lower Brulé Reservation, are both in South Dakota. Also in South Dakota are the Miniconjous, Oohenupa, or Two Kettle, and Itazipacola, or Sans Arc, all at the Cheyenne River Reservation. The Hunkpapa are located at the Standing Rock Reservation, which is located in North Dakota and South Dakota, and the Sihasapa, or Blackfoot, are located at both the Standing Rock Reservation and Cheyenne River.

History

The original homelands of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota were in what is now Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, though they wandered far and wide, with a strong presence in what is now Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, Illinois and Canada. The Lakota, the smallest of these three groups when the Sioux tribe separated, eventually became the largest, moving west of the Missouri River and developing the Plains Indian culture.

Size

When the greater Sioux tribe split into three factions, the Lakota branch numbered approximately 20,000 in the mid 18th century. Over time, the Lakota became the largest and most powerful of the three, its growth often attributed to the tribe being the first to acquire the horse. Today, there are about 70,000 Lakota people, with approximately 20,500 speaking the traditional Lakota language.

Significance

For over 160 years, the Lakota occupied the plains, until European settlers slowly appropriated the lands upon which they lived and hunted. As part of the larger Sioux tribe, their history goes back centuries. The heritage and oral traditions of the Lakota and other Native Americans are priceless treasures, giving modern culture a glimpse into the distant history of our nation.