Ronan Quigley

                                      

       How do you think your life would be if you were a member of the Sioux? The Sioux was a great tribe. They achieved numerous goals. Location, basic needs, and customs teach people about their life.

       A long time ago the Sioux lived in a big chunk of North America. The Sioux lived in the midwestern region. Today the states are known as North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. The land they lived in was the Great Plains which was flat land and the Interior Lowlands which was very grassy and covered in vegetation. They also lived in the Canadian Shield which was very icy and most everywhere was covered in ice. The lakes that were near them were Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. In Minnesota they had many lakes around them. The land was beautiful and provided them with an abundance of water and natural resources.

       The Sioux met their basic needs in many ways.They lived in places called tipis. Tipis were made out buffalo hides. Buffalo was their main food. Their favorite dishes were wasna or pemmican. Which was made by pounding dried meat and berries. Men wore shirts and eagle feather headdresses. Women wore either deerskin dresses or elkskin dresses. The Sioux met their basic needs in different ways than we do today.

        The Sioux had many customs and beliefs. The Sun Dance is a spiritual dance. Which is for lost people or objects. Kids were not praised because they were expected to do their best. After women had grandchildren they became medicine women. The bone flesher was used for scraping hide off of animals. The sweat bath was used to clean your mind and fill with good thoughts. In conclusion the Sioux had a lot of costumes and beliefs.

         Now do you know what it would be like if you were in the Sioux tribe? One would be able to learn about the Sioux by looking at where they lived, what they needed to survive, or their beliefs and customs. In 1805, the Lakota tribe had a population of 8,500. In 1881, the Sioux had a population of 16,110. Today, the Sioux is still alive and well.