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South Dakota's three largest reservations-Cheyenne River, Pine Ridge, and Rosebud are part of the Lakota Nation. Each of the reservations is approximately the size of the state of Connecticut. Lakota (pronounced in some dialects as Dakota or Nakota), means "friend" or "ally" in the Lakota language. The Lakota Nation is the conglomeration of seven bands, known as the Oceti Sakowin, or the Seven Council Fires. Four of the bands make up the Cheyenne River Reservation. They are: Mnicoujou-Plants by the Water, Oo'henumpa-Two Kettle, Itazipco-No Bows, and Sihasapa-Blackfoot. The Oglala-Scatters Their Own make up the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Sicangu-Burnt Thighs make up the Rosebud Reservation. And the Hunkpapa-Camps at the Entrance make up the Standing Rock Reservation.
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It is common for Lakota tribes and tribal members to refer to themselves and their tribes with their traditional name, Lakota, rather than their federal name, Sioux. The United States government took the word Sioux from Nadowesioux, which comes from an Ojibway (Chippewa) word which means little snake or enemy. The French traders and trappers who worked with the Ojibway people shortened the word to Sioux. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 established the Great Sioux Nation as extending from Canada to the North, through to Kansas to the South, into Wyoming to the west, and Wisconsin to the east. Over the course of many years of war with the US, the land allotted to the Lakota was divided among the seven bands, and slowly decreased until it reached the current reservation borders.
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In the Lakota way, everything is circular in the journey of life and death. The circle is the foundation for the traditional house, the tipi. Tipi is a Lakota word meaning 'used to live in' and that is exactly what the Lakota did during the hot summer as well as through the most severe winters.
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Reflecting the elements: earth, fire, air and water, and the seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall, the number four is an essential symbol of Lakota spirituality. It also represents the four directions: north, south, east, and west, and the four races: red, black, white, and yellow.
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Site funded in part by a grant from Administration for Native Americans
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