Life of the Dakota Tribe

The Dakota tribe lived on the grassy plains where South Dakota is now. They were skilled hunters. The Dakota people hunted buffalo, which moved in large herds across the plains. When they killed buffalo, there was enough meat to feed the tribe for a long time.

To keep the meat from spoiling, they cut it into thin strips, dried it in the sun, and smoked it over fire. Sometimes they pounded the dried meat into a powder and mixed it with dried berries to make a food called pemmican. Hunters took pemmican on long trips because it was light and easy to eat without cooking.

Buffalo skins were used to make warm clothes for winter. The Dakota moved often in summer, following the buffalo, so they did not grow corn or beans like the Seneca tribe.

The Dakota made beautiful clothes. They had special headdresses for important occasions, decorated with eagle feathers. Each feather represented a brave deed. In their war clothes, the Dakota danced traditional war dances.

After Europeans arrived, the Dakota learned to use horses and guns. Some settlers encouraged conflicts between tribes and sometimes paid for scalps. They thought it would be easier to take the land if the tribes fought each other. The Dakota became skilled fighters but also continued to follow their traditions and way of life.