Lifeways

The Sioux as a whole are classified as PLAINS INDIANS, part of the Great Plains Culture Area. But because of their different locations, the lifeways of the four branches varied. The Teton acquired horses, followed the great buffalo herds, and lived in tipis.

The way of life of the Yankton and Yanktonai became like that of other Missouri River tribes, such as the MAN-DAN and HIDATSA, other Siouan-speaking peoples. The

Sioux ceremonial buffalo skull with a design representing the sky, Sun, and rain

Yankton and Yanktonai began using horses in the 1700s and also hunted buffalo like the Teton, but they lived most of the time in permanent villages of earth lodges. They also continued to cultivate crops. As a result, the Yankton and Yanktonai can also be described as PRAIRIE INDIANS.

The Santee retained many of the cultural traits of the western Great Lakes Indians. Their culture was something like that of the WINNEBAGO (ho-CHUNK), another Siouan-speaking people. They lived in wooded river valleys and made bark-covered houses. They hunted buffalo in the tall grassland country of the Mississippi River. They eventually began to use the horse, but they did not keep as many mounts as their more westerly relatives did. The Santee can be thought of as a cross between Woodland and Prairie peoples.

It should be remembered that the typical way of life on the Great Plains did not evolve until long after contact with non-Indians, when Native Americans acquired the horse. Although most tribes on the plains became equestrian nomads who lived in tipis year-round, not all the tribes gave up their villages, their farming, and their pottery after having acquired horses.

As indicated, of the branches of Sioux, the Teton are the closest to the Native Americans so prevalent in the popular imagination. Teton lifeways—tipis, warbonnets, buffalo robes, medicine bundles, sacred shields, horsemanship, horse gear, military societies, buffalo-hunting, sign language, coup-counting, Sun Dances, and Vision Quests—are summarized under the entry PLAINS INDI ANS. See also PRAIRIE INDIANS to help understand the more sedentary way of life of the Yankton, Yanktonai, and Santee branches of the Sioux people.