OF THE HUMAN FAMILY. 171 



migration commenced to the eastward, the Dakotan to the valley of the Mississippi 

 by some southern route, and the Algonkin to the chain of Lakes, and the valley of 

 the St. Lawrence by some northern route. The classification of nations adopted in 

 the Table is founded chiefly upon their system of relationship, which contains some 

 evidence bearing upon their inter-relations that will appear as we proceed. 



A stock language, as the term is here used, includes such dialects as have a 

 sufficient number of vocables for common objects susceptible of identification to 

 establish their immediate derivation from each other, or from a common parent 

 language. Branch, when applied to a group of nations, is coextensive with stock 

 language as applied to a group of dialects. The term stem, or stem-people, is used 

 in a more comprehensive sense. It includes several branches or groups of nations, 

 whose systems of relationship possess features showing affinity of blood. It also 

 includes several stock languages, the vocables of which have a family resemblance, 

 although changed beyond immediate identification. 



I. Dakota Nations Proper. 1. Isaunties. 2. Yanktons. 3. Yanktonais. 4. 

 Sissetons. 5. Ogalallas. 6. Brules. 7. Unkpappas. 8. Blackfoot Dakotas. (9. 

 Ohenonpas. 10. Minnikanyes. 11. Sansarcs. 12. Itazipcoes, these are not repre- 

 sented in the Table.) 13. Asiniboines. 



At the period of European discovery, the Dakotas proper were found established 

 upon the head waters of the Mississippi in the present state of Minnesota. Their 

 home country extended from the head of Lake Superior to the Missouri River, the 

 greater part of which, along the margins of the rivers, streams and lakes, was in 

 their continuous occupation. When first known to the colonists, through the 

 early explorers, they were subdivided into a number of independent bands, living 

 more or less in tent villages, 1 and were supposed to be more numerous than any 

 other northern Indians who spoke mutually intelligible dialects. The first accounts 

 were favorable concerning their intelligence, their hospitality, and their manliness. 



The Dakota language has assumed two, if not three, distinctly marked dialectical 

 forms, but the variance is not sufficient to interrupt free communication. These 

 dialects may be distinguished as the Isauntie, the Teeton, and the Yankton. 

 Between the first two the amount of variation is considerable ; but the third, the 

 Yankton, is in the process of formation out of the first. 2 As two forms of the same 

 speech, they may be called the Isauntie, or the Mississippi, and the Teeton or 

 Missouri Dakota. For philological purposes they are extremely interesting, since 

 the variance is still in the incipient stages of its development. 



1 Carver's Travels, p. 51 (Philadelphia edition 1796), shows that this was the case in 1766. 



9 " The chief peculiarity of the Ihanktonwan [Yankton] as compared with that of the Dakotas of 

 Minnesota [Isaunties] is the almost universal substitution of k for h. The Titonwan [Teeton] exhibits 

 more striking differences. In it g hard is used for h of the Isanties and Ic of the Ihanktonwans, and 

 rejecting d altogether, they used I in its stead. * * * Thus, to illustrate the foregoing. * * * 

 ' Hda,' 1 to go home of the Isantes, is ' kda 1 of the Ihantonwans dialect, and 'gla' in the Titonwau. 

 Many words, too, are entirely different, as for example, ' isan', a knife ; the Titonwans say ' milla', 

 and the Ihanktonwans minna." Smithsonian Con. IV. Gram, and Die. of Dakota Language, Intro. 

 XVII. This last difference may probably be explained by the absence of a term for knife in the 

 primitive language. 



