Nakota

The Nakota are one division of the Dakota Nation. When the Dakota Nation split into three main groups, the Nakota moved from northern Minnesota to what is now southern North Dakota and southern South Dakota, and the nearby parts of Iowa and Minnesota.

The Nakota consist of three main bands today:

Ihanktonwan- Reservations at: Yankton, Standing Rock, Spirit Lake

Ihanktonwanna- Reservations at: Yankton, Crow Creek, Fort Peck

Assiniboin- Reservations at: Fort Peck, Fort Belknap

Important Nakota People:

     Ella Cara Deloria (Apetu Waste Win)

History:

       Food:

The Nakota grew plentiful gardens of corn and other vegetables which they ate raw, boiled, or roasted or dried and stored for later use.

Along with what they gathered or grew in their gardens the Nakota hunted deer, elk, bear, antelope and smaller game, but primarily relied on buffalo. They used bows and arrows for hunting which were so strong that they could shoot an arrow entirely through a buffalo. Bows and arrows were made individually for each hunter according to their height, and personalized for identification during the hunt.

The Nakota utilized the American Bison (buffalo) for food as well as for their hides. Buffalo meat (and other types of game too) was often boiled in holes in the ground and enjoyed during a hunting celebration following the return of the hunters. However, most buffalo meat was prepared for later use. Some was dried in the sun to make jerky. When traders arrived in Dakota territory, the Nakota learned to use salt to prepare their meat.

Shelter:

The Nakota lived in Tipis in small family arrangements when on-the-go, and also in rounded lodges. The tipis were the typical dwelling of the Dakota when they were on the plains. They could be easily transported to follow the buffalo. Tipis were pointed structures, consisting of poles covered by hide or cloth. Sometimes as many as 16-18 buffalo hides were sewn together for use as a tipi covering. The opening to the tipi was held together by wooden "pins". A smoke hole in the top of the tipi allowed fires to be built inside. The Nakota had larger tipis than the Dakota did because horses could carry more weight than dogs could.

The Nakota's rounded lodges were large enough for a dozen or more people to fit inside. Unlike the Dakota, the Nakota's lodges were covered in skins. There weren't enough trees around them to provide bark coverings.

Clothing, Crafts:

As mentioned above, buffalo hides were used to make robes, tipi covers, clothing, moccasins, bags, carrying cases, and boxes. The working of hides was generally done by women, tanned them, removed the hair if necessary, and transformed them into useful items.

Nakota clothing was made of animal skins including buffalo, deer and elk, much like the Dakota. The women spent many hours following the creation of the structure of the item of clothing decorating it with beads, bones or other natural objects of beauty.

The moccasins made by the Nakota were unique in that they had hard soles. That made them better for walking over burrs and the rough terrain of the dry plains.

Celebration:

Like other Dakota groups, bands of Nakota would meet in the summer and engage in group activities including political council meetings, religious ceremonies, sporting events, communal buffalo hunts, marriages, and coming-of-age ceremonies. Summers were a special opportunity to see family members who were members of other bands.

Travel:

The large amount of horses the Nakota owned combined with their remarkable horsemanship resulted in their ability to travel relatively long distances.

The Nakota used a travois, the French word for shafts of a cart, for long distance travel. The travois was made of two long poles that were crossed and fastened above the shoulders of a horse with the ends dragging behind.

References

Minnesota Historical Society

    1970  The Dakota or Sioux. Gopher Historian Leaflet Series Number 5. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society.

Where we are today

    Electronic document. Former link: http://drivinghawk.com/today.htm.