THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 61 



In 1875 the Indians of this family residing within the limits of the United States 

 numbered nearly 68,000, with about 1,000 more within the British Possessions. If the 

 estimates of early explorers are to be relied upon, they must have lost heavily in 

 population within the last one hundred years — intestine wars, the aggressions of the 

 whites, and the vices of civilization reducing many once powerful tribes to demoral- 

 ized remnants that are fast fading out of our knowledge by absorption into the ranks 

 of more powerful neighbors. Almost all of the tribes of this family are settled on 

 reservations under the direct care and support of the Government, and are fairly on 

 the road to a civilized future. The exceptions are a few members of the wild bands 

 of the Sioux, the Minatarees or Gros Ventre.'?, and the Crows. At the present writing 

 most of the first-named are at war with the United States forces, while the two latter 

 are friendly.— W. H. Jackson, 1877. 



Since settled on reservations, and at peace. 



Lists of existing tribes and locations on reservations to June 30, 1885, 

 are given herein. 



DAKOTAS, OR SIOUX. 



The word " Dakota " means united, confederated, or many in one, and designates the 

 tribe from which the family takes its name. They seldom or never willingly ac- 

 knowledge the title Sioux, first given them by the French, and now by all whites. 

 There are many theories as to the origin of this latter name, the most acceptable of 

 which is that it is a corruption of the word Nadouessioux — a general Chippewa desig- 

 nation for enemies — which was gradually applied by missionaries and traders, through 

 ah imperfect understanding of the language, to the tribes thus designated. Governor 

 Ramsey, of Minnesota, thought that the word " originated upon the Upper Missouri, 

 among the early French traders, banters, and trappers, they deriving it, in all proba- 

 bility, from the name of a sub-band of Ti-t'-wan (Teton), Dakotas, called Sioune, who 

 hunted over the plains of that river, and with whom, consequently, they came most 

 frequently in contact. 



" In Lewis and Clark's travels, in 1803, they are called the Teton Saone, and their 

 villages are located on the Missouri, near Cannon-ball River. 



" At least we find the term Sioux first used in the early maps to designate a large 

 tribe, with various subdivisions, upon the Upper Missouri only." 



Dakota traditions go back but a comparatively short time, and are vague and ob- 

 scure in regard to their origin and early residence, which place it, however, in the 

 Northwest, above the great lakes. In their progress eastward they early possessed 

 themselves of the country about the headwaters of the Mississippi and the Red River 

 of the North, where they remained as late as 1868, when they were in part dispos- 

 sessed by the Chippewas, who were eventually the cause of their removal to the 

 Missouri. 



Up to 1860 the Dakotas were divided into two principal divisions, those east of the 

 Missouri, who were known as the Minnesota or Mississippi Dakotas, composed of four 

 bands, viz : The M'dewakantons, or those of the Village of the Spirit Lake ; the Wa- 

 pe-kutes, or Leaf Shooters ; the Wah-pe-tons, or Village in the Leaves ; and the Sisse- 

 tons, or those of the Village of the Marsh. Most of these have been long in contact with 

 the whites, and, having disposed of the greater portion of their lands to the Govern- 

 ment, have abandoned most of their old habits, and devote themselves to farming. 

 Others of them, however, are restless and devoted to old prejudices, and cause much 

 trouble to the settlers. The massacre of the whites in 1862 was inaugurated by the 

 M'dewakantons, the Wahpetons and Sissetons afterwards joining them. 



Along the Missouri, but living mostly on its eastern side, were the Shanktonwans 

 (Yanktons), or the people of Village at the End, inhabiting originally the Sioux, Des 

 Moines, and Jacques Rivers, and living now principally about the mouth of the Ver- 

 million. 



