The Sun Dance and Other Ceremonies of the Oglala Division of the Teton Dakota (Forgotten Books) - Tapa blanda

The Oglala Lakota or Oglala Sioux, meaning "to scatter one's own" in Siouan, live in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota bordering Nebraska and 50 miles east of Wyoming, the second largest reservation in the United States. The reservation has broadly three parts, pine covered hills and ridges, grassy plains and a desert area. All three parts are noted for natural beauty. The Oglala Sioux see themselves primarily as part of the Lakota or Sioux people.

The Oglala Sioux, along with the six other groups of Lakota, had separated from each other by the early 19th century. By 1830, the Oglala had around 3,000 members. In the 1820s and 1830s the Oglala, along with the Brules (another division of Lakota) and three other Sioux sects, formed the Sioux Alliance. This Alliance caused much warfare between the Western Sioux and surrounding tribes for territorial and hunting reasons.

Typically, in the Oglala Sioux society, the men are superior to the women and are in charge of the politics of the tribe. The men are always the chiefs, leaders, and warriors. However, women are and always have been highly regarded and respected in the tribe. Any forms of violence against women are extremely looked down upon. Similar to non-Indian outside cultures, women are beginning to participate more in leadership roles such as superintendents of reservations, community leaders, and teachers.

Family was and still is of utmost importance to the Oglala Sioux, with loyalty to the tribe coming in close second. Each family had one or more tipi households. (Quote from wikipedia.org)

About the Author

George Bird Grinnell (1849 - 1938)
George Bird Grinnell (September 20, 1849 - April 11, 1938) was an American anthropologist, historian, naturalist, and wri