The word " Sioux " indicate:

  1. an important Linguistic group of the center and south-east of the North America. This group is subdivided in two sub-groups, the Catobas now disappeared and the Sioux (which comprise themselves of other subdivisions);

  2. a word of origin Sauteux which indicates tribes Lakota, Nakota and very close Dakota culturally. The word " sioux" comes from the expression " nadewisu" who, in the languages of Sauteux, would mean “perfidious snakes”, but this point dubious and is discussed.

This term was taken again by the French at the 17th century, and then adopted by the Sioux themselves, but today they prefer to re-use their names of origin while saying I am lakota, nakota or Dakota. “Nahdossiou” is thus in the beginning a pejorative word that Sauteux used to indicate the close tribes with the White which enquéraient knowledge how was called this tribe; by linguistic simplification there remained about it only the word Sioux which lost this pejorative direction.

The Sioux were called between them OCETI SAKOWIN OYATE, “the People of Seven Fires”. These people were divided into three great groups:

  • Santis or Dakota (traditional territory Minnesota) which include/understand:
    • Sisseton . Reserve Sisseton-Wahpeton (South Dakota)
    • Wahpeton (" They live under the feuilles"). Reserve Sisseton-Wahpeton (South Dakota)
    • Wahpekute (" They drive out under the feuilles"). Small reserves of Minnesota
    • Mdewakanton (" They live the lake sacré"). Reserves of Devil' S Lake (North Dakota and of Prior Lake (Minnesota).
  • Yankton or Nakota (national territory Dakota ) which include/understand:
    • Ankton “Iyanktonwan” (" They live with the bout"). Reserve Yankton (akota of the South)
    • Assiniboine (related in Yanktons). Reserve of Strong Peck, Reserve of Strong Belknap (Montana) and Reserves in Alberta (Canada)
    • Stoney (related in Yankton). Reserves in Alberta
    • Yanktonnais “Iyanktonwanna” (" Small Yankton"). Reserve of Strong Peck (Montana).
  • the Nipples or Lakota (traditional Territory Dakota/Wyoming) which include/understand:
    • Honkepapa (" They camp with the entrée"). Reserve of Standing Rock'n'roll (Dakota of the South and North)
    • Oglala (" They dispersent") Reserve of Prick Ridge (South Dakota)
    • Flarings (" Thighs brûlées"). Reserve of Rosebud and Reserve of Lower Flaring (South Dakota)
    • Minneconjou “Mnikwojupi” (" They plant close to the eau"). Reserve Cheyenne To rivet (South Dakota)
    • Without-arc (" Without arc"). Reserve Cheyenne To rivet (South Dakota)
    • Boiler (" Twice bouilli"). Reserve Cheyenne To rivet (South Dakota)
    • Pied-noir (" Feet noirs" or Blackfeet Sioux, not to confuse with the Blackfoot people). Reserve Cheyenne To rivet (South Dakota).

Contacts with Europeans

The French were the first Europeans to meet the Sioux, on the Western frontage of the Higher Lac, in the Actual positions of the Minnesota and the Wisconsin. The Sauteux, their enemies, called them Nadowessioux , “the small vipers”, désobligeante denomination that the French, combined of Objiwas, began again by shortening it. In fact, the Sioux named themselves in their language Oceti Sakowin , “the Council of Seven fires”, in reference to their seven political divisions. At the time of the first contacts with the French, in the years 1670 - 1680, the Sioux were approximately sédentarisés villages; they alternated the culture of corn, the gathering of wild rice and hunting for the bisons, present then in the clearings of the High-Mississippi. During the 18th century, the bands Sioux, probably driven out by the conflicts then endemic around the Big lakes and the development of the epidemics which decimated the close tribes, began their migration towards the West. This movement beyond the the Mississippi was also justified by the abundance of the Bison and by the appearance of the horse, come from the plains of the South, where the Indians had adopted it when it had appeared with the arrival of the Spaniards, at the 16th century.

During the 18th century, the tribes Sioux constituted a true “empire” in the West by pushing back the Corbels (French Crows in France) towards the Rocky Mountains, and the Panis on the river Platte. They appear in the accounts for the first time in 1650 in the area of the lakes Milles and Leech near the the Mississippi, in the Minnesota. Borders of their new territory being at one day of walk of the Higher lake. Under the pressure of the tribes Sauxteux (among the first to obtain firearms), they moved again more in the west, pushing in front of them Cheyennes, the Omahas, the Corbeaux and other tribes smaller. They quickly invaded all the west and the south-west of the country after the acquisition of horses and rifles.

Towards 1750, they crossed the Mississippi and invaded the black Collines. The Forwarding Lewis and Clark, at the beginning of the 19th century, made it possible to the Americans to look further into their knowledge on the Sioux. On arrival of the American colonists in the Large Plains, in the years 1830-1840, the Sioux thus occupied a vast territory which extended since the Missouri to the mounts from the Little Bighorn (current States of the North Dakota and the South Dakota), like on part of the Wyoming and Nebraska. In this conquest, the Confederation Sioux is allied with the Arapahos and the Cheyennes; this union, which will perdura throughout XIXe century, made of the Sioux the military power most imposing of the Plains of North.

Derived place names

Two States of the United States, the North Dakota and the South Dakota bear the name of the tribe Dakota . Two other States have names of origin Sioux: the Minnesota ( mni (" eau") and sota (" misty/smoky, not clair") and the Nebraska whose name comes from a language close to Santee, in which mni and blaska (" plat") refer to the river Platte (French name). The States of the Kansas, the Iowa and the Missouri carry the names of tribes cousins of the Sioux, respectively Kansa, Iowa and Missouri, just like the cities Omaha in the Nebraska and Ponca City in the Oklahoma. These names show the broad dispersion of the people Sioux in the Midwest

Several municipalities of Midwest use the word Sioux in their name: Sioux City and Sioux Center (Iowa) and Sioux Falls (South Dakota) as well as the rivers Little Sioux in Iowa and Big Sioux on the border enters Iowa and South Dakota.

Several towns of less importance as of other geographical entities of the Plains of North carry names of origin Sioux or translations of names Sioux like Wasta, Owanka, Oacoma, Hot Springs (Minnelusa), Minnehaha County, Belle Fork (Mniwasta, or " Good eau"), Inyan Kara etc

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