South Dakota Community Network

The South Dakota Native American tribes are diverse and have a rich history. The tribe from this part of the United States is the Sioux tribe and the name translated means “little snakes.”

The people wore clothing made out of elk skin or deerskin. The women wore dresses while the men covered themselves in leggings, shirts and breechcloths. Later, after the Europeans sailed to America, the Sioux people adopted their clothing styles and added vests, robes and dresses sewn from fabrics. Today, many of the Sioux people honor their heritage by wearing beaded vests and moccasins.

In order to travel the Sioux tribes made canoes out of birch bark or traveled with dogs trained to pull a travois. Horses were brought to the tribes later when the Europeans arrived and the Sioux quickly adapted to this form of travel, by becoming skilled riders. This is a past time tribe members still enjoy today.

Initially the Sioux tribes were farmers of corn and hunted, but after they transitioned to using horses they became sole hunters. The tribes followed the migrations that the Buffalo made throughout the seasons. As they traveled they gathered fruits and vegetables along the way. They traded with other tribes and communicated with them by the use of Plains Sign Language.