The Dakota Indian Tribe

The Dakota Indians are a very well known tribe in America. They are well known for their wars with the European settlers. Two of the states in America are named after them: North Dakota and South Dakota. The Dakota were also known as the Sioux, the Lakota and the Nakota. Some very famous battles that the Dakota have fought in are the Battle of Little Big Horn and the battle at Wounded Knee. All of these characteristics have made the Dakota a very interesting tribe.

Works Cited
Swanton, John. The Indian Tribes of North America. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.

Waldman, Carl. "Sioux." Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, Third Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. American Indian History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE43&iPin=ind2432&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 24, 2007).

The Dakota Conflict of 1862

I thought that the Europeans were wrong to treat the Dakota Indians the way that they did. The Dakota Indians were on the land first so they should have the right to say what the Europeans can and can't do. I also thought that the Europeans should have kept their half of the treaty and given the Dakota food. If the Europeans would have kept their treaty, then the conflict never would have happened. I don't think that it was right for the Dakota to go and kill some settlers, but they needed food and they had to get it somehow.

Dakota Hunting

The most popular animal hunted by the Dakota Indians and all other Indians was the buffalo. The buffalo was a very hard animal to hunt because of its size. In order to kill the buffalo, the Indians had to use many interesting techniques. One technique included many Indian hunters surrounding the buffalo and then forcing it into some sort of trap that the Indians had constructed. Another technique included causing the buffalo to stampede and run off of a cliff.

The buffalo was a very important resource for the Indians. The meat from the buffalo could be turned onto jerky and used as food for the Indians. The buffalo horns could be turned into cups, fire holders, and medicines. The skin of the buffalo would be tanned and then used to make moccasins, blankets, and clothing. Without the buffalo, the Dakota Indians would have a very hard time surviving.

Works Cited

Keoke, Emory Dean, and Kay Marie Porterfield. "bison." Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World: 15,000 Years of Inventions and Innovations. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2001. American Indian History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

ItemID=WE43&iPin=EIC050&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 22, 2007).

Dakota Trading

The most common way of trade for the Dakota Indians was the fur trade. The Indians would trade the furs from the animals that they trapped to the European traders in exchange for many European products such as guns, metal tools and cloth. A common place for the Indians to trade their goods was a trading post. Here, the Indians would trade their furs to the European traders and the European traders would then make the furs into popular objects such as hats. The fur trade started out very successful but it ended up in a war because the Europeans were taking over North American lands and the Indians did not want this.

Works Cited

Sonneborn, Liz. "fur trade." Chronology of American Indian History: The Trail of the Wind. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2001. American Indian History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE43&iPin=ind6098&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 22, 2007).

Waldman, Carl. "trading post." Word Dance: The Language of Native American Culture. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 1994. American Indian History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE43&iPin=ind4680&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 22, 2007).