1058 THE GHOST-DANCE KELIGIuN [bth. ann.M 



SKETCH OF THE TRIBE 



The Sioux constitute the largest tribe in the United States, and are 

 too well known to need an extended description here Although now 

 thought of chiefly as a prairie tribe, their emergence upon the plains 

 is comparatively recent, and within the historic period their range 

 extended as tar eastward as central Wisconsin, from which, and most 

 of Minnesota, they have been driven out by the westward advance of 

 the Ojibwa. There is ground for believing that the true home of the 

 whole Siouan stock is not in the west, or even in the central region, hut 

 along the south Atlantic slope. (See the author's Siouan Tribes of the 

 East.) 



The Sioux language has three well-marked dialects — the eastern or 

 Santee, the middle or Yankton (including the Asiniboin in the north). 

 and the western or Teton. The tribe consists of seven great divisions. 

 each of which again has or had subdivisions. Dorsey enumerates over 

 one hundred in all. Each grand division had its own camping circle, 

 and when two or more such divisions camped together they usually 

 camped in concentric circles. {Dorset/.) The seven great divisions are: 

 1. Mde-wakaii-toiiwan (Medewacanton), '"village of the Spirit lake;" -. 

 Waqpekute (Wahpacoota), -'leaf shooters;" •'>. Waqpetorlwan (Wah- 

 peton), "leaf village;" 4. Sisitonwan (Sisseton), variously rendered 

 "slimy village" or "swamp village ;" 5. Ihanktoilwan (Yankton), "cud 

 village;" <>. Thariktonwanna (Yanktonais), "upper end village;" 7. 

 Titonwan (Teton), "prairie village." 



The first four divisions collectively are known as Isauati or Santee 

 Sioux. The name is supposed to be derived from isaii, the dialectic 

 word for "knife.'' They formerly held Mississippi, Minnesota, and 

 upper lied rivers in Minnesota and were afterward gathered on reserva- 

 tions at Devils lake, North Dakota: Lake Traverse (Sisseton agency) 

 and Flandreau, South Dakota; and Santee agency, Nebraska. Those 

 at Lake Traverse and Flandreau have now taken allotments as citizens. 



The Yankton and Yanktonais, together speaking the middle dialect, 

 occupied chiefly the country of James river, east of the Missouri, in 

 North Dakota and South Dakota and extending into Iowa, They are 

 now on Yankton and Crow Greek reservations in South Dakota, and 

 Fort Peck reservation, Montana. 



The Teton constitute more than two-thirds of the whole Sioux tribe, 

 and held nearly the whole country southwest of flic Missouri from 

 Cannonball river to the South Platte, extending westward beyond the 

 Flack hills. They are all now on reservations in South anil North 

 Dakota. They are again subdivided into seven prin'cipal divisions: 



1. Sichangu, "burnt thighs" (Brul6s), now on Rosebud reservation; 



2. Ogalala, referring to "scattering" of dust in the face (Clark), now 

 on Tine Ridge reservation, under the celebrated chief Fed Cloud 

 (MaqpeLuta); .'-!. Hunkpapa, "those who camp at the end (or opening) 



