Dakota people facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dakota

Charles Alex Eastman (1858–1939), physician, author, and co-founder of the Boy Scouts of America
Total population
20,460 (2010)
Regions with significant populations
United States (South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota),  Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan)
Languages
Dakota, English
Religion
Christianity (incl. syncretistic forms), Native American religions, Native American Church, Wocekiye
Related ethnic groups
Lakota, Assiniboine, Stoney (Nakota), and other Sioux

The Dakota (pronounced Dakota: Dakȟóta) are a group of Native American tribes and First Nations in North America. They are a big part of the larger Sioux people. The Dakota are usually split into two main groups: the Eastern Dakota and the Western Dakota.

The four bands of Eastern Dakota are the Bdewákaŋthuŋwaŋ, Waȟpéthuŋwaŋ, Waȟpékhute, and Sisíthuŋwaŋ. These groups are sometimes called the Santee (Isáŋyathi), which means 'dwells at the place of knife flint'. They live in eastern Dakotas, central Minnesota, and northern Iowa. Many of their tribes are officially recognized by the government.

The Western Dakota are the Yankton and the Yanktonai (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋ and Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋna). Their names mean "Village-at-the-end" and "Little village-at-the-end." They live near the Upper Missouri River. Together, the Yankton-Yanktonai are also known as Wičhíyena, meaning 'Those Who Speak Like Men'. They also have their own recognized tribes. Sometimes, the Western Dakota were mistakenly called Nakota, who are a different group living in Montana and Canada.

What Does the Name Dakota Mean?

The word Dakota means "ally" or "friend" in the Dakota language. The Dakota people call themselves Ikčé Wičhášta ("Indian people") or Dakhóta Oyáte ("Dakota people").

Who Are the Dakota People?

Zitkala-Sa (1876–1938), a Yankton author, photographed by Joseph Keiley.

The Eastern and Western Dakota are two of the three main groups within the larger Sioux nation. The third group is the Lakota (Thítȟuŋwaŋ or Teton). All three groups speak dialects that are quite similar, so they can usually understand each other. This is often called the Dakota-Lakota language, or simply Sioux.

The Dakota people include these main bands:

• Santee Division (Eastern Dakota) (Isáŋyathi, meaning "knife camp")
  • Mdewakanton (Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ "Spirit Lake Village" or "people of the mystic lake")
    • Famous person: Taoyateduta
  • Sisseton (Sisíthuŋwaŋ, meaning "swamp/lake/fish scale village")
  • Wahpekute (Waȟpékhute, "Leaf Archers")
    • Famous person: Inkpaduta
  • Wahpeton (Waȟpéthuŋwaŋ, "Leaf Village")
• Yankton-Yanktonai Division (Western Dakota) (Wičhíyena)
  • Yankton (Iháŋkthuŋwaŋ, "End Village")
  • Yanktonai (Iháŋkthuŋwaŋna, "Little End Village")
    • Upper Yanktonai
    • Húŋkpathina or Lower Yanktonai

Understanding the Dakota Language

The Dakota language is part of the Mississippi Valley Siouan language family. This family belongs to the larger Siouan-Catawban language family. The Dakota language is very similar to the Lakota language, and people speaking one can usually understand the other. It is also related to the Stoney and Assiniboine languages. Dakota is written using the Latin script, just like English. There are dictionaries and grammar books to help people learn it.

The Dakota language has two main dialects:

• Eastern Dakota (also called Santee-Sisseton or Dakhóta)
  • Santee (Isáŋyáthi: Bdewákhathuŋwaŋ, Waȟpékhute)
  • Sisseton (Sisíthuŋwaŋ, Waȟpéthuŋwaŋ)
• Western Dakota (also called Yankton-Yanktonai or Dakȟóta)
  • Yankton (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋ)
  • Yanktonai (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋna)
    • Upper Yanktonai (Wičhíyena)

A Brief History of the Dakota People

Before the 1600s, the Santee Dakota (Eastern Dakota) lived around Lake Superior. Their lands were in what is now northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. They gathered wild rice, hunted woodland animals, and used canoes for fishing. In the 1700s, wars with the Ojibwe people pushed the Dakota south into Minnesota. This is where the Western Dakota (Yankton, Yanktonai) and Teton (Lakota) already lived.

In the 1800s, the Dakota signed agreements with the United States. They gave up much of their land in Minnesota. However, the United States often failed to make payments on time. This, along with a lack of food, led to the Dakota War of 1862. After this conflict, many Dakota people were forced to leave Minnesota. They moved to reservations in Nebraska, North and South Dakota, and Canada. After 1870, some Dakota people began to return to Minnesota. This led to the reservations that exist in the state today.

The Yankton and Yanktonai Dakota (Western Dakota) lived near the Minnesota River. In 1858, they gave up their land and moved to South Dakota. Even after giving up their lands, their agreement with the U.S. government allowed them to keep their special role. They were the caretakers of the Pipestone Quarry. This quarry is a very important cultural site for all Sioux people.

Santee (Eastern Dakota) History

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Ojibwe people moved from the east. They had muskets from the French and British. This pushed the Dakota further into Minnesota and to the west and south. The U.S. government later named the northern lands west of the Mississippi River "Dakota Territory".

After the Dakota War of 1862, the U.S. government sent many Santee (including the Mdewakanton) out of Minnesota. Many were sent to Crow Creek Indian Reservation in what is now South Dakota. Later, some from Crow Creek were moved again. They eventually settled at the Santee Sioux Reservation.

Today, most Santee people live on reservations and reserves. Many also live in cities in Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Canada. They moved to cities for more job opportunities and better living conditions.

Yankton-Yanktonai (Western Dakota) History

The Yankton (Iháŋkthuŋwaŋ: "End village") and Yanktonai (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋna: "Little end village") are two important divisions. The Yanktonai are divided into two subgroups: the Upper Yanktonai and the Lower Yanktonai (Húŋkpathina).

These groups were involved in getting pipestone from quarries. The Yankton-Yanktonai moved into northern Minnesota. In the 1700s, they were known to live in the Mankato region of southwestern Minnesota. This area is along the Blue Earth River.

Most Yankton people now live on the Yankton Indian Reservation in southeastern South Dakota. Some Yankton also live on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation and Crow Creek Reservation. The Lower Yanktonai also live on the Crow Creek Reservation. The Upper Yanktonai live in northern Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and on the Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota. Others live in eastern Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. They also live on several Canadian reserves, like Birdtail and Oak Lake.

Where Dakota People Live Today

The Dakota people have many separate tribal governments. They are spread across different reservations and communities in North America. These places are in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Montana in the United States. They are also in Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan in Canada.

The first European records show the Dakota living in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. After horses were introduced in the early 1700s, the Sioux controlled much larger areas. Their lands stretched from central Canada to the Platte River. They also went from Minnesota to the Yellowstone River, including the Powder River country.

Modern Reservations and Communities

(* Reserves shared with other First Nations)

Notable Dakota People

Historical Figures

• Hazaiyankawin (Azayamankawin), a Mdewakanton Dakota woman who ran a canoe ferry in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
• Inkpaduta (Scarlet Point/Red End), a Wahpekute Dakota war chief.
• Ištáȟba (Sleepy Eye), a Sisseton Dakota chief.
• Maḣpiya Wic̣aṡṭa (Cloud Man), a Mdewakanton Dakota chief.
• Ohíyes'a (Charles Eastman), a Dakota author, doctor, and reformer who helped start the Boy Scouts of America.
• Snana (Maggie Brass), a Mdewakanton woman who saved Mary Schwandt during the U.S.–Dakota War of 1862.
• Tamaha (One Eye/Standing Moose), a Mdewekanton Dakota scout for the U.S. during the War of 1812.
• Thaóyate Dúta (Little Crow III/His Red Nation), a Mdewakanton Dakota chief and military leader during the U.S.–Dakota War of 1862.
• Ti'wakan (Gabriel Renville), a Sisseton Wahpeton chief from 1866 to 1892.
• Wapahaśa (Wabasha II), a head chief of Mdewakanton Dakota in the early 1800s.
• Wapahaśa (Wabasha III), a head chief of the Santee Sioux.
• Wánataŋ (Wanata), a Yanktonai Dakota chief.
• Wánataŋ (Wanata#Chief Wanataan II), a Sisseton Dakota chief, son of the former.
• Waŋbdí Okíčhize (War Eagle), a Yankton Dakota chief of Santee origin.
• Waŋbdí Tháŋka (Big Eagle), a Mdewakanton Dakota sub-chief.
• Zitkala-Ša (Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, 1876–1938), a Yankton author, educator, musician, and activist.

Contemporary Figures

• Ella Cara Deloria (1889 – 1971), an author, ethnographer, and linguist.
• Vine Deloria Jr. (1933–2005), a Standing Rock author, activist, historian, and theologian.
• Floyd Red Crow Westerman/Kanghi Duta (1936–2007), a Sisseton Wahpeton actor.
• John Trudell (1946–2015), a Santee activist and leader in the American Indian Movement.

Many modern Sioux people are also listed under their specific tribes:

By Individual Tribe

• Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation
• Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of the Crow Creek Reservation
• Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe
• Lower Brule Sioux Tribe of the Lower Brule Reservation
• Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
• Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate
• Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota
• Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota

See Also

• Bdóte
  • Bdote Memory Map