MIGRATIONS—ARGUMENT FROM NAMES, 183 
which they have left behind them. The Dakota people, on the other hand, 
‘arry With them, to some extent, the history of their removals in the names 
of the several bands. 
DAKOTA. 
The Sioux people call themselves Dakota.t They say “Dakota” means 
“league” or “alliance”—they being allied bands. And this meaning is con- 
firmed by other uses of the word in the language. The name Sioux, on the 
other hand, was given to them by their enemies. In the preceding account 
the word “ Nadouessi,” or ‘“‘ Nadouessioux,” is of frequent occurrence. The 
Huron, and perhaps other western Indians, called the Iroquois Nadowe or 
Nottaway, which is said to mean enemy. Because they were ever on the 
war-path, as were the Six Nations, the Dakota were styled the Lroquois of 
the West, and, for distinction’s sake, were called Nadouessioux, enemies. 
The last part of the word stuck, and has become a part of their history. 
The Ojibwa, it appears, called the Dakota by the name of Bway, which 
comes out in the name Assiniboin, Stone Dakota; and a small band, or 
family, of the Assiniboin are called Stoneys, living in the Dominion of 
Canada. 
Spirit Lake Villages——We have seen that Du Luth and Hennepin first 
visited the villages of the Dakota on the islands and shores of Mille Laes, 
which was their Mde-wakay, and hence the name Mde-wakay-toywan. 
This name has come down through more than two centuries, and still 
attaches to a portion of the people, and is abiding evidence of their having 
lived on the head of Rum River. 
Not long after their first discovery by white men, if not at the time, a 
portion of this same band of Dakota were called Matanton, which name 
appears to be a contraction of Mde-tayka-toyway, meaning Village of the 
Great Lake. This was only a designation given to a portion of Mille Laes. 
Before the end of that century these people began to make their villages 
alone down Rum River, and perhaps also on the Mississippi, and so ob- 
tained the name of Wakpa-atoywan, Village on the River. But, after one 
hundred and fifty years, this, with the name preceding, passed out of use. 
As previous to this time the Ojibwa had contented themselves with 
the shores of Lake Superior, but were now getting an advantage over the 
Dakota in the first possession of firearms, we find the Dakota, who pitched 
their tents westward and northward, toward Leech Lake and Sandy Lake, 
earning the name of ‘ Chonkasketons” (Gankaske-ton wan), Fortified Vil- 



In the Teton dialect this is Lakota. 
