Indian tribe of the Sioux

Sioux: Dakota, Lakota

geographic region: Plains and Prairies

language groups: Sioux (Dakota)

habitation: Plains-Tipi

main food: Buffalo (Bison)

Who knows Indians only from Karl May books or western films has a wrong view of them. Before the Caucasians arrived, some hundred different Indian tribes lived in north america, who were nearly unknown in Europe.

One of these hundreds were my tribe ancestors, the Sioux. Today it is spoken about the 500 nations.

The best known under the Sioux-tribes were the Dakota (eastern Sioux and Lakota (western Sioux)), the so called PLAINS.

The endless wide grassland in the heart of north america between the Mississippi in the East and the rock ground in the West, the Rocky Mountains, were called prairie and plains. They extended over 3'000 km from Canada across the USA to Mexico.

First the Spains brought the horse to America and from then the hunters of the plains could follow the bisons on their wanderings. The bisons formed now their livelihood.

Nearly allwhat the Indians needed for household, hunt and clothing was delivered by this animal. They produced more than 80 kinds of subjects from the dispatched bison. From the untanned skin they cut laces and belts, they used the fur as bed and blankets, the tanned leather as tarpaulin for their tipis. They wore bison horns as ornaments, especially they cut cups and spoons out of them. Bones were treated to knifes, arrowheads, needles and scrapers. Because of this versatility the Indians, especially the Sioux, could evolve into on of biggest and mightiest tribes in North America.

But this shouldn't last for long!

When the AVARICE of the Caucasians for land grow more and more and the Indian didn't bow, more and more wars ruled the land. But the "white man" understood his craft: By extermination of food sources, homicide and rape he could steel the land.

This seemed absurd to the Indians, because the basic princip to which the "red man" lived, was: humans are part of the natur and live in unity with mother earth, with all plants and animals. That's why rivers, earth and wood can't be the property of anyone. Because how could anyone own air, wind, clouds and animals.

But when one day the last tree is cut down, the last animal is killed and the last river is poisoned, first then the "White Man" will realize that MONEY can't be eaten.

wrote by Luc (Standing Tatanka)