History and Culture
Treaties & Sioux
It is common for Lakota tribes and tribal members to refer to themselves and their tribes with their traditional name, Lakota, rather than their federal name, Sioux. The United States government took the word Sioux from Nadowesioux, which comes from an Ojibway (Chippewa) word which means little snake or enemy. The French traders and trappers who worked with the Ojibway people shortened the word to Sioux. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 established the Great Sioux Nation as extending from Canada to the North, through to Kansas to the South, into Wyoming to the west, and Wisconsin to the east. Over the course of many years of war with the US, the land allotted to the Lakota was divided among the seven bands, and slowly decreased until it reached the current reservation borders.
Circle and Tipi
In the Lakota way, everything is circular in the journey of life and death. The circle is the foundation for the traditional house, the tipi. Tipi is a Lakota word meaning 'used to live in' and that is exactly what the Lakota did during the hot summer as well as through the most severe winters.
Number Four
Reflecting the elements: earth, fire, air and water, and the seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall, the number four is an essential symbol of Lakota spirituality. It also represents the four directions: north, south, east, and west, and the four races: red, black, white, and yellow.
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