The Sioux Native American Tribe

In the past, the Sioux Nation roamed the Northern Plains freely, satisfied with their primitive lifestyle. Depending completely on the buffalo herds for food, shelter, and clothing, the Sioux Nation became nomadic buffalo hunters. Where the buffalo roamed, the Sioux people were always near, depending on this lifeline that labeled them as the most unique and culture-filled people I have ever come across.

The Sioux people are a very resourceful people, using ever single part of each buffalo kill. For shelter, they use the teepees, cone-shaped structures held up by poles with buffalo skins. Using the meat of the buffalo, the Sioux women made food by drying and pounding the meat into a powder called jerky pemmican. This could be stored for many years. For clothing the Sioux crafted leggings and shirts for the men and dresses for the women with moccasins for their feet, all usually made of buffalo skins. In winter, they made gloves and heavy robes to protect themselves from the harsh cold.

Star Quilts are extremely important to the Sioux because each piece of the quilt is like a person. Each of the pieces is unique and necessary to make a whole quilt. The thread that holds the quilts together is a reminder of the need to keep friendships strong and hold the community together. The women in the Sioux community make these quilts using many different colors and patterns and give them on special occasions.

In the Sioux culture education is extremely important. The children of the community learn from each parent. The boys learn how to hunt from their fathers while the girls leaned how to cook and make clothing from their mothers. Today, Sioux children go to reservation schools where they are taught the normal subjects as well as Sioux traditions.
The traditional religion of the Sioux is called The Sacred Pipe religion which is known not only by the Sioux but by many other Native American tribes as well. In this religion, the Great Spirit is their god and they believe that a spirit named White Buffalo Calf Woman gave them a sacred pipe which began this religion. Each tribe has their own pipe which Sioux men use to offer tobacco to religious leaders as a sigh of fasting for a vision ceremony. Today, some Sioux still practice the old religion while others have converted to Christianity.
The Sioux tell many stories called legends that often explain things in Nature. One example of a Sioux legend is the story of how the Sioux began. Many years ago, the Great Spirit sent a flood in which everyone drowned except for one woman. She climbed out to the top of a high click and lifted her hands up to the Great Spirit to beg for mercy. The Great Spirit sent down a giant eagle which grabbed the woman and carried her to safety in the Black Hills. When it landed, the eagle turned into a man and the two had many children who became the Sioux Nation.