Xiwan peoples

In the XVII — XVIII centuries. inhabited the steppes from the Mississippi River to the Rockies. They come from the foothills of the Appalachians, where they settled on the farm. Dakota, one of the peoples of this group, inhabits the states of Minnesota , Nebraska , North Dakota and South Dakota . In the USA there are 10 thousand, in Canada - 3 thousand. Another people, Omaha, lived in pieces. Iowa , Nebraska , on r. Bow Creek, in the 18th century settled on the shores of Missouri. We fought with the Dakota. There are 1.5 thousand of them. Another people, Iowa, 1520 people. - in Nebraska, Kansas, 280 - in Oklahoma, chap. way in the district. Iowa.

Sioux ancestors also lived in the Great Lakes region, from where they were replaced by Algonquins. Some states are named by tribe. The total number of Sioux people in the USA is 103 thousand.

All Sioux are divided into three groups:

• Dehiha , the language of Dehiha ( Omaha , Ponka , Kansa , Osagei , Kuapo );
• civere , civere language ( Iowa , Oto , Missouri );
• Mandan , Languages Mandan ,
• Sioux , Crow , Hidatsa , Assiniboins - a dialect of the Dakota language .

According to other data, separate languages ​​are distinguished: biloxi , Winnebago , Sioux , Crow , Katoba , Mandan , ofo , Tutelo , Hidatsa , Chevere , Yuchi . Dialects of the Sioux language (Dakota) (the most famous people in the history of the Sioux group):

• Lakota (tribe, which in turn is divided into oglala , brulee , hunkpapa , minnekonzhu , itazipcho , ohenonpa , sihasapa )
• East Dakota ( Wahpetons , Sissetons , Medevacantons , Wahpekute tribes)
• West Dakota ( Yankton , Yanktonai tribes)
• nakoda ( stony )
• nakota ( assiniboines )

Sioux tribes belong to the type of prairie Indians. They borrowed a horse from the Europeans and switched to equestrian hunting for bison. In addition, they were engaged in other types of hunting, fishing, collecting wild rice, slash-and-burn agriculture. In the 17-18 centuries. traded furs with the Europeans. In the 19th century the seizure of the territories of the Dakota tribes provoked their armed resistance, and they were settled on reserves. Among the crafts can be called the construction of rafts and leather boats, dressing hides, painting on hides (ornamenting), beading, etc. Sioux tribes were one of the most belligerent, the war was an honorable and important thing for them. Typical Native American weapons - bow, arrows, spear, knife, tomahawk. They borrowed guns and metal axes from Europeans only later. And initially the tomahawk was not an ax, but a club, a club. They could be different: with a round knob, flat with teeth, such as a cyst.

The Sioux dwellings were different: half dugouts covered with earth, bark, mats, round clay houses, bark dwellings with two chimneys. On camping trips we lived in tipi. Tipi is most characteristic of the prairie Indians. This is a tent, its frame was built of poles set by a cone, which was covered from above with bison skins. Inside, in the center of tipi, was a bonfire. At the bottom there was one entrance covered by a valve, and at the top there was a chimney, also in the form of a valve. The costume of the Sioux Indian consisted of a shirt, pants, or loincloth and leggings; for women, a dress-shirt, ch. way of leather. Shoes are moccasins. It was characteristic to decorate clothes with fringe. Crosses were popular in the ornament on clothes. The headdress of the steppe Indians is interesting, which is known throughout the world, but is not typical for all the peoples of America. This is a strip of skin into which eagle feathers are inserted. The top of the pen was painted black and decorated with a red tassel. Each feather played the role of an order: the Indian received the right to wear a feather, having accomplished a feat. For leaders, such a plait of feathers sometimes dangled from behind below the waist. Necklaces were used for decoration, almost always any Indian wore a “medicine” on his neck. This is a leather bag with amulets; any item could play the role of an amulet. The basis of the Indians' food was bison meat.

The main unit among the Indians in general was not a clan, but a tribe. The tribe was divided into phratries and genera. For example, Omaha - 2 phratries were divided into 5 patrilineal clans, at the head of the phratry - 2 leaders, a council of 7 hereditary leaders and 5 guardians of tribal fetishes. Military affairs were led by the genus of a deer. Big family. Iowa consisted of 2 phratries (winter and summer), headed for six months by two leaders from the genera of a bison and a bear.

Sioux had faith in spirits (animism), shamanism, military and economic cults, performed various rituals, often savage, with self-torture. There were secret unions (male, shamanistic). There was magic (healing). For Omaha, for example, the Pogtun alliance included only leaders, and the Haituen alliance included only distinguished warriors. Wakan, or Wakanda, is the highest spirit of the Sioux, like the Manitou of the Algonins, an impersonal spirit like the one god. Spirits were respected - tribal patrons (Nikiye, Ivakan), as well as other objects, elements of nature, the sun, the moon, etc. The mandanas had a cult "Women living on the moon." She patronized corn and hunting. A distinct personification of the elements was developed by the Dakota and several other tribes: Tuncan - the spirit of the earth, Vakinyan bird - fire, thunder and lightning, Takushkanshkan - 4 wind spirits, Unktekhi - a group of water spirits, underground and underwater worlds. They corresponded with the color and side of the horizon: Tuncan - blue, north, Vakinyan - red, east, Takushkanshkan - black, south, Unktekhi - yellow, west. The number 4 was sacred (as in all of America), symbolized the sides of the horizon, they were also symbolized by the cross. The main holiday is the dance of the sun, held once a year. Tipi were placed in a circle, and one in the center was the sun. Guests were invited, and the celebration lasted several days. The main rituals were self-torture, apparently playing the role of sacrifice. There were no victims in the full sense of the Sioux.

• Sioux (people)
• Xiuan languages
• Sioux (language)
• Lakota tribe

• Encyclopedia " Peoples and religions of the world ", M. - 1998.
• Tokarev S. A. Religions in the history of the peoples of the world, M.-1976.
• Languages ​​and dialects of the world, M.-1982.