378 EXPEDITION TO THE 



lowing division which formerly prevailed among them.. 

 viz: — 



1. Mende Wahkan loan, or people of the Spirit Lake. 



2. Wahkpa toan, or people of the Leaves. 



3. Sisi toan, or Mia Kcchakesa. 



4. Yank toan an, or Fern leaves. 



5. Yank toan, or descended from the Fern leaves. 



6. Ti toan, or Braggers. 



7. Wahkpako toan, or the people that shoot at leaves. 



These form two great divisions, which have been dis- 

 tinguished by the traders into the names of Gens du Lac, 

 and Gens du Large. Those that resided about Spirit Lake, 

 and who are now principally found along the banks of the 

 Mississippi ; and those that rove in the prairies ; these 

 may be considered as including all the six last tribes. 



All the Dacotas speak the same language ; yet some dis- 

 tinctions of the nature of dialects appear to prevail in sonle 

 words, as spoken by the roving or by the stationary In- 

 dians. From the circumstance of these difierences being 

 trifling, we are led to believe, that the seven tribes were 

 originally one, and that the name of Dacota, or allied, must 

 not be considered as implying an union or amalgamation 

 of different nations. We hope we shall not be accused of 

 indulging in a fanciful comparison, when we observe that 

 we see, in the use of this word by them, the same meaning 

 as it has with us ; probably they sprung from one common 

 root, divided into tribes according to their local distribu- 

 tion upon the surface of the country, and then, speaking 

 the same language, and having the same enemies, they 

 found it convenient to unite in one confederacy for their 

 mutual safety. We do not, however, profess to have a 

 sufficient acquaintance with their language, or with philo- 

 logy in general, to decide the question. Perhaps one 



