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Great Spirit

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The Great Spirit is an omnipresent supreme life force , generally conceptualized as a supreme being or god , in the traditional religious beliefs of many, but not all, indigenous cultures in Canada and the United States . Interpretations of it vary between cultures.

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105-844: In the Lakota tradition, the Great Spirit is known as Wakan Tanka . According to Lakota activist Russell Means , a more semantically accurate translation of Wakan Tanka is the Great Mystery . Often, Lakota language prayers begin with the phrase “Tunkasila”, which translates to “grandfather, Great Spirit.” In the Haudenosaunee tradition, the Great Spirit is known as "the Creator". Haudenosaunee men's lacrosse team captain Lyle Thompson , characterized it as "the Creator that lives in all of us. It’s in

210-455: A god of creation , history and eternity, who also takes a personal interest in world affairs and might regularly intervene in the lives of human beings. Numerous individuals are held to have been " speakers " for the Great Spirit; persons believed to serve as an earthly mediator responsible for facilitating communication between humans and the supernatural more generally. Such a speaker is generally considered to have an obligation to preserve

315-463: A $ 60-million land-rights settlement in 2008. The Lakota are among tribal nations that have taken actions, participated in occupations, and proposed independence movements, particularly since the era of rising activism since the mid to late 20th century. They filed land claims against the federal government for what they defined as illegal taking of the Black Hills in the nineteenth century. In 1980,

420-456: A Métis culture. The first Europeans to encounter Native Americans in the Great Lakes region were French explorers . These men were professional canoe-paddlers who transported furs and other merchandise over long distances in the lake and river system of northern America. Such explorers gave French names to many places in present-day Minnesota , Michigan and Wisconsin . French settlers in

525-602: A century later, after the United States had built Fort Laramie without permission on Lakota land, it negotiated the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 to protect European-American travelers on the Oregon Trail . The Cheyenne and Lakota had previously attacked emigrant parties in a competition for resources, and also because some settlers had encroached on their lands. The Fort Laramie Treaty acknowledged Lakota sovereignty over

630-419: A changing cast of spokespeople at yearly meetings. In more recent times, clans have come to align personality characteristics with the animals that represent them. This shifts the focus from extended family governance to groups of people who have a particular kind of strength to offer to the community. For example, the deer clan is sometimes understood as having the direction of hospitality toward visitors, whereas

735-624: A group of people, such as a family, clan or tribe) and promotion of trade, the Council generally had a peaceful existence with its neighbours. However, occasional unresolved disputes erupted into wars. The Odawa (also known as Ottawa or Outaouais) are a Native American and First Nations people. Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa (or Anishinaabemowin in Eastern Ojibwe syllabics) is the third most commonly spoken Native language in Canada (after Cree and Inuktitut), and

840-487: A monotheistic God alongside animistic conceptions. The number of adherents to these contemporary beliefs in the great spirit are unknown, but it is likely they number over a quarter million people. Lakota people The Lakota ( [laˈkˣota] ; Lakota : Lakȟóta/Lakhóta ) are a Native American people. Also known as the Teton Sioux (from Thítȟuŋwaŋ ), they are one of the three prominent subcultures of

945-578: A person". There are different teachings about how many clans there are and which are clans in leadership positions. This is due to the decentralized mode of governance that the Anishinaabe practice. Each person is a self-determining authority, and it is their duty to uphold their own roles and responsibilities for the wellbeing of all our relations . This is understood as the "Law of Non-interference". Nobody can interfere with another being's path unless they are causing great harm to another or themselves. Within

1050-529: A sovereign nation with property rights over thousands of square miles in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana. The group stated that they do not act for or represent the tribal governments "set up by the BIA or those Lakota who support the BIA system of government". "The Lakota Freedom Delegation" did not include any elected leaders from any of the tribes. Means had previously run for president of

1155-440: A synonym of Ojibwe , but it refers to a much larger group of Nations. ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯ Anishinaabe has many different spellings. Different spelling systems may indicate vowel length or spell certain consonants differently ( Anishinabe , Anicinape ); meanwhile, variants ending in - eg/ek ( Anishinaabeg , Anishinabek ) come from an Algonquian plural, while those ending in an - e come from an Algonquian singular. The name Anishinaabe

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1260-472: A total of 6,000 registered members. They are recognized as First Nations but are not considered "treaty Indians". As First Nations they receive rights and entitlements through the Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada department. But because they are not recognized as treaty Indians, they did not participate in the land settlement and natural resource revenues. The Dakota rejected

1365-709: A trader to the Ojibwe, and legislator of the Minnesota Territory . A gifted storyteller and historian, he collected native accounts and wrote the History of the Ojibway People, Based Upon Traditions and Oral Statements , first published by the Minnesota Historical Society in 1885, some 32 years after his early death from tuberculosis . Given his Anglo-American father, Lyman Marcus Warren, and American education,

1470-560: A treaty that ceded the Black Hills to the United States; however, the nature of this treaty and its passage were controversial. The number of Lakota leaders who backed the treaty is highly disputed. Low-intensity conflicts continued in the Black Hills. Fourteen years later, Sitting Bull was killed at Standing Rock reservation on December 15, 1890. The U.S. Army attacked Spotted Elk (aka Bigfoot)'s Minicoujou band of Lakota on December 29, 1890, at Pine Ridge, killing 153 Lakota (tribal estimates are higher), including numerous women and children, in

1575-564: A withdrawal of the Lakota Sioux from all treaties with the United States government. These activists had no standing under any elected tribal government. Official Lakota tribal leaders issued public responses to the effect that, in the words of Rosebud Lakota tribal chairman Rodney Bordeaux, "We do not support what Means and his group are doing and they don't have any support from any tribal government I know of. They don't speak for us." Means declared "The Republic of Lakotah", defining it as

1680-489: Is "the good humans", meaning those who are on the right road or path given to them by the Creator Gitche Manitou , or Great Spirit. Basil Johnston , an Ojibwe historian, linguist, and writer, wrote that the term's literal translation is "beings made out of nothing" or "spontaneous beings". The Anishinaabe believe that their people were created by divine breath. The word Anishinaabe is often mistakenly considered

1785-581: Is honest with themselves first, they will more easily be able to be honest with others. In Anishinaabemowin , this word can also mean "righteousness." According to Anishinaabeg culture, humility requires recognizing oneself as a sacred part of Creation, neither better nor worse than any other creation. In Anishinaabemowin , this word can also mean "compassion." Some communities instead express this with Bekaadiziwin , which in addition to "humility" can also be translated as "calmness," "meekness," "gentility" or "patience." According to Anishinaabeg culture, truth

1890-494: Is it the case that any one story can ever be said to have achieved its final form. Instead, all stories are works in progress." Before telling a story, Elders "very often begin by quoting the authority of Elders who have gone before. They do not state the authority as coming from themselves. They will say things like, 'This is what they used to say,' or 'This is what they said.'" Beyond sharing cultural knowledge, storytelling traditions can help provide Anishinaabeg children "with

1995-454: Is knowing all of these things. Individuals should speak the truth and not deceive themselves or others. The Anishinaabeg follow an oral storytelling tradition . Storytelling serves as an integral part of Anishinaabeg culture as "stories teach the stock of wisdom and knowledge found in the culture" and "promotes 'respectful individualism," wherein individuals do not force their thinking upon others. Instead of directly teaching right and wrong,

2100-601: Is recorded in their winter counts ( Lakota : waníyetu wówapi ), pictorial calendars painted on hides, or later recorded on paper. The 'Battiste Good winter count' records Lakota history to 900 CE when White Buffalo Calf Woman gave the Lakota people the White Buffalo Calf Pipe. Around 1730 Cheyenne people introduced the Lakota to horses , which they called šuŋkawakaŋ ("dog [of] power/mystery/wonder"). After they adopted horse culture , Lakota society centered on

2205-450: Is situational, meaning that storytellers must be mindful of audience, of listener, and [should] keep the oration accessible and real." When a story is shared, "[t]he teller and the listener are equally activie; the listener is not passive." Furthermore, stories told are not static: "Once they become public, people will play will them, embellish them, and add to them ... There is no need for any particular story to have any particular form. Nor

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2310-601: Is sometimes shortened to Nishnaabe , mostly by Odawa people . The cognate Neshnabé comes from the Potawatomi , a people long allied with the Odawa and Ojibwe in the Council of Three Fires . The Nipissing , Mississaugas , and Algonquin are identified as Anishinaabe but are not part of the Council of Three Fires. Closely related to the Ojibwe and speaking a language mutually intelligible with Anishinaabemowin (Anishinaabe language)

2415-878: Is the Oji-Cree (also known as "Severn Ojibwe"). Their most common autonym is Anishinini (plural: Anishininiwag ), and they call their language Anishininiimowin . Among the Anishinaabe, the Ojibwe collectively call the Nipissings and the Algonquins Odishkwaagamii (those who are at the end of the lake), while those among the Nipissings who identify themselves as Algonquins call the Algonquins proper Omàmiwinini (those who are downstream). Not all Anishinaabemowin-speakers call themselves Anishinaabe. The Ojibwe people who migrated to what are now Canada's prairie provinces call themselves Nakawē(-k) and call their branch of

2520-482: Is to face the foe with integrity. In Anishinaabemowin , this word literally means "state of having a fearless heart." To do what is right even when the consequences are unpleasant. Some communities instead use either Zoongadiziwin ("state of having a strong casing") or Zoongide'ewin ("state of having a strong heart"). According to Anishinaabeg culture, honesty in facing a situation is to be brave. Individuals should always be honest in word and action. If an individual

2625-454: Is to know wisdom. Wisdom is given by the Creator to be used for the good of the people. In Anishinaabemowin , this word expresses not only "wisdom" but also means "prudence," or "intelligence." In some communities, Gikendaasowin is used; in addition to "wisdom," this word can also mean "intelligence" or "knowledge." According to Anishinaabeg culture, to know peace is to know love. Love must be unconditional. When people are weak they need love

2730-785: The American frontier . After Pontiac's War, the Anishinaabe gradually established the same relationship with the British that they had with the French. During the American Revolution , which partly resulted from opposition in the Thirteen Colonies to the 1763 proclamation, the Anishinaabe (including the Three Fires Confederation) mostly sided against the rebelling colonists . Fighting in conjunction with British and Loyalist forces,

2835-551: The Cheyenne River Reservation , one of the poorest communities in the United States . Unemployment , addiction , alcoholism , and suicide are all challenges for Lakota on the reservation. The name Lakota comes from the Lakota autonym, Lakota "feeling affection, friendly, united, allied". The early French historic documents did not distinguish a separate Teton division, instead grouping them with other "Sioux of

2940-719: The Grattan massacre by attacking a Lakota village in Nebraska , killing about 100 men, women, and children. A series of short "wars" followed, and in 1862–1864, as Native American refugees from the " Dakota War of 1862 " in Minnesota fled west to their allies in Montana and Dakota Territory. After the American Civil War increasing illegal settlement by whites on the Plains resulted in war again with

3045-571: The Great Plains in exchange for free passage for European Americans on the Oregon Trail for "as long as the river flows and the eagle flies". The U.S. government did not enforce the treaty restriction against unauthorized settlement, and Lakota and other bands attacked settlers and even emigrant trains as part of their resistance to this encroachment. Public pressure increased for the U.S. Army to punish them. On September 3, 1855, 700 soldiers under U.S. Brevet Major General William S. Harney avenged

3150-742: The Huron and even occasionally Sioux . In June 1994, the Chiefs at the Anishinabek Grand Council gathering at Rocky Bay First Nation , directed that the Education Directorate formally establish the Anishinabek Education Institute (AEI) in accordance with the post-secondary education model that was submitted and ratified with provisions for satellite campuses and a community-based delivery system. (Res. 94/13) In August 2017

3255-538: The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. They operate with the federal government. These relationship are negotiated and contested. Most Lakota tribal members are also citizens of the United States. They can vote in local, state/provincial and federal elections. They are represented at the state and national level by officials elected from the political districts of their respective states and Congressional Districts. Tribal members living both on and off

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3360-559: The Midewewin society. This oral and written records contain the Anishinaabe creation stories as well as histories of migration that closely match other Indigenous groups of North America, such as the Hopi . Before the Anishinaabe became Anishinaabe the people migrated from Waubanaukee, an island of the East Coast, which may have been what is now called New England , as the great ice sheet receded at

3465-698: The Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree ), Odawa , Potawatomi , Mississaugas , Nipissing , and Algonquin peoples . The Anishinaabe speak Anishinaabemowin , or Anishinaabe languages that belong to the Algonquian language family . At the time of first contact with Europeans they lived in the Northeast Woodlands and the Subarctic , and some have since spread to the Great Plains . The word Anishinaabe means "people from whence lowered". Another definition

3570-674: The Ozaagii (Sac), Odagaamii (Meskwaki), Omanoominii (Menominee), and non-Anishinaabeg: Wiinibiigoo (Ho-Chunk), Naadawe (Iroquois Confederacy), Nii'inaa-Naadawe ( Wyandot ), Naadawensiw (Sioux), Wemitigoozhi (France), Zhaaganaashi (Britain) and the Gichi-mookomaan (the United States). The Anishinaabeg communities are recognized as First Nations in Canada . The first of the Anishinaabeg to encounter European settlers were those of

3675-608: The Sioux people, with the Eastern Dakota (Santee) and Western Dakota (Wičhíyena). Their current lands are in North and South Dakota . They speak Lakȟótiyapi —the Lakota language , the westernmost of three closely related languages that belong to the Siouan language family. The seven bands or "sub-tribes" of the Lakota are: Notable Lakota persons include Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake ( Sitting Bull ) from

3780-611: The Three Fires Confederation , within the states of Wisconsin , Illinois , Indiana , Michigan , Ohio , and Pennsylvania in the territory of the present-day United States, and southern Ontario and Quebec of Canada. There were many interactions between the Anishinaabeg and the European settlers, the Anishinaabeg dealt with Europeans through the fur trade and as allies in European-centered conflicts. Europeans traded with

3885-811: The War of 1812 , the Three Fires Confederacy fought with the British against the United States. Many Anishinaabeg refugees from the Revolutionary War, particularly the Odawa and Potawatomi, migrated northwards to British North America . Those who remained east of the Mississippi River were subjected to the Indian removal policy of the United States government ; among the Anishinaabeg, the Potawatomi were most affected by

3990-632: The Wood Mountain First Nation reserve, near Wood Mountain Regional Park in Saskatchewan, Canada. Anishinaabe The Anishinaabe (alternatively spelled Anishinabe , Anicinape , Nishnaabe , Neshnabé , Anishinaabeg , Anishinabek , Aanishnaabe ) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States . They include

4095-842: The Wounded Knee Massacre . Today, the Lakota are found mostly in the five reservations of western South Dakota: Lakota also live on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana , the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation of northwestern North Dakota, and several small reserves in Saskatchewan and Manitoba . During the Minnesota and Black Hills wars, their ancestors fled for refuge to "Grandmother's [i.e. Queen Victoria's] Land" (Canada). Large numbers of Lakota live in Rapid City and other towns in

4200-456: The buffalo hunt on horseback. In 1660 French explorers estimated the total population of the Sioux (Lakota, Santee , Yankton , and Yanktonai ) at 28,000. The Lakota population was estimated at 8,500 in 1805; it grew steadily and reached 16,110 in 1881. They were one of the few Native American tribes to increase in population in the 19th century, a time of widespread disease and warfare. By 2010

4305-477: The "kidnapping" of Lakota children from their homes by the state of South Dakota's Department of Social Services (D.S.S.). It was noted by NPR that over half of the children in foster care in South Dakota were of Native descent. Lakota activists such as Madonna Thunder Hawk and Chase Iron Eyes , along with the Lakota People’s Law Project , have alleged that Lakota grandmothers are illegally denied

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4410-686: The 19th century, as Native Americans and the United States had different goals. After the Dakota War of 1862 , many Anishinaabeg communities in Minnesota were relocated and further consolidated. There are many Anishinaabeg reserves and reservations; in some places, the Anishinaabeg share some of their lands with others, such as the Cree, the Dakota, the Delaware, and the Kickapoo , among others. The Anishnabeg who "merged" with

4515-585: The Anishinaabe fought in the Northern and Western theaters of the American Revolutionary War . After the British defeat in the Revolutionary War, the Anishinaabe mostly sought peace with the new United States , though lingering tensions resulting from encroachment by American settlers continued to spill into frequent outbreaks of violence in the frontier. During the Northwest Indian War and

4620-443: The Anishinaabe governance structure there are seven leader clans that each facilitate a specific role and have responsibilities within the community and to the rest of Creation. Within each grouping of clans are seven clans. This means there are a total of 49 total Anishinaabe clans. The clan system is integral to the Anishinaabe governance structure and to the Anishinaabe way of life as well as to their spiritual practices. People of

4725-406: The Anishinaabe. He also cited the experiences of other indigenous nations in the U.S. (such as the Creek , Fox , and other peoples). His work was a major early work in demonstrating the significance of the clan system. After the Sandy Lake Tragedy, the U.S. government changed its policy to relocating tribes onto reservations , often by consolidating groups of communities. Conflict continued through

4830-531: The Anishinaabeg and are considered to be the founding principles of their way of life. The Seven Grandfather teachings have been around for centuries, passed on from elders through storytelling. These teachings have helped shape the way of life for the Anishinaabeg for years and continue to do so. The stories can be adapted to fit specific community values and have been incorporated by organizations, schools, different programs, artists, individualists, and tribes. According to Anishinaabeg culture, to cherish knowledge

4935-468: The Anishinaabeg for their furs in exchange for goods and also hired the Anishinaabeg men as guides throughout the lands of North America. The Anishinaabeg women (as well as other Aboriginal groups) occasionally would intermarry with fur traders and trappers. Some of their descendants would later create a Métis ethnic group. Explorers, trappers, and other European workers married or had unions with other Anishinaabeg women, and their descendants tended to form

5040-590: The Anishinaabeg often use storytelling to share their history and cultural truths, including but not limited to the Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers . Stories often "provide important lessons for living and give life purpose, value, and meaning." They can further "include religious teachings, metaphysical links, cultural insights, history, linguistic structures, literary and aesthetic form, and Indigenous 'truths'." By understanding traditional stories, individuals can better understand themselves, their world, where they came from, and where they are going. Storytelling

5145-509: The Anishinaabeg reached Michilimackinac on their journey westward from the Atlantic coast. Using the Midewewin scrolls, Potawatomi elder Shop-Shewana dated the formation of the Council of Three Fires to 796 AD at Michilimackinac. In this council, the Ojibwa were addressed as the "Older Brother", the Odawa as the "Middle Brother", and the Potawatomi as the "Younger Brother". Consequently, when the three Anishinaabeg nations are mentioned in this specific order: Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi, it implies

5250-482: The Anishinaabemowin Nakawēmowin . (The French ethnonym for the group is Saulteaux .) Particular Anishinaabeg groups have different names from region to region. The Anishinaabe use of the clan system represents familial, spiritual, economic and political relations between members of their communities. Often an animal is used to represent a person's clan or dodem but plants and other spirit beings are sometimes used as well. The word dodem means "the heart or core of

5355-467: The Black Hills from all white settlement forever. But four years later gold was discovered there, and prospectors descended on the area. The Lakota attacks on settlers and miners were met by military force conducted by such army commanders as Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer . General Philip Sheridan encouraged his troops to hunt and kill the buffalo as a means of "destroying the Indians' commissary." The allied Lakota and Arapaho bands and

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5460-430: The Black Hills, and in metro Denver . Lakota elders joined the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) to seek protection and recognition for their cultural and land rights. Legally and by treaty classified as a "domestic dependent nation" within the United States, the federally recognized Lakota tribes are represented locally by officials elected to councils for the several reservations and communities in

5565-411: The Canadian government and other aboriginal peoples in Canada , the Anishinaabe of Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec have opposed the Energy East pipeline of TransCanada . The Chippewas of the Thames First Nation legally challenged the right of the Canadian government to hold a pipeline hearing without their consent. The project was also the basis of a June 2015 declaration of reclaimed sovereignty over

5670-415: The Cheyenne moved west to the Powder River country. The Lakota made the Black Hills their home. Initial United States contact with the Lakota during the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804–1806 was marked by a standoff. Lakota bands refused to allow the explorers to continue upstream, and the expedition prepared for battle, which never came. Some bands of Lakota became the first indigenous people to help

5775-424: The Council of Three Fires as well. Each tribe had different functions: the Ojibwa were the "keepers of the faith", the Odawa the "keepers of trade," and the Potawatomi are the "keepers/maintainers of/for the fire" (boodawaadam). This was the basis for their exonyms of Boodewaadamii (Ojibwe spelling) or Bodéwadmi (Potawatomi spelling). Through the totem -system (a totem is any entity which watches over or assists

5880-462: The Creator of all things and the Giver of Life, and is sometimes translated as the "Great Mystery". Historically, Anishinaabe people believed in a variety of spirits, whose images were placed near doorways for protection. According to Anishinaabe tradition, Michilimackinac , later named by European settlers as Mackinac Island , in Michigan, was the home of Gitche Manitou, and some Anishinaabeg tribes would make pilgrimages there for rituals devoted to

5985-404: The Dakotas, Minnesota, and Nebraska. These tribes have government-to-government relationships with the United States federal government, primarily through the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Department of Interior. As semi-autonomous political entities, tribal governments have certain rights to independent of state laws. For instance, they may operate Indian gaming on their reservation based on

6090-471: The Great Lakes region as well. Since the Iroquois had allied with the British Empire , the Anishinaabe fought numerous conflicts against them in conjunction with their French allies. During the French and Indian War , the majority of the Anishinaabe fought with France against the British and their Indian allies, though after Britain's victory most of them sought peace with the British. However, dissatisfaction resulting from new British policies, in particular

6195-506: The Húnkpapȟa, Maȟpíya Ičáȟtagya ( Touch the Clouds ) from the Miniconjou; Heȟáka Sápa ( Black Elk ), Maȟpíya Lúta ( Red Cloud ), and Tamakhóčhe Theȟíla ( Billy Mills ) - all Oglála; Tȟašúŋke Witkó ( Crazy Horse ) from the Oglála and Miniconjou, and Siŋté Glešká ( Spotted Tail ) from the Brulé. Activists from the late twentieth century to present include Russell Means (Oglála), and William Hawk Birdshead (Hunkpapa, Oglala, Cheyenne, and Arapaho) Siouan language speakers may have originated in

6300-442: The Kickapoo tribe may now identify as being Kickapoo in Kansas and Oklahoma. The Prairie Potawatomi were the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi of Illinois and Wisconsin who were relocated to Kansas during the 19th century. The Anishinaabe of Manitoba, particularly those along the east side of Lake Winnipeg, have had longstanding historical conflicts with the Cree people. In addition to other issues shared by First Nations recognized by

6405-410: The Lakota Sioux with an additional modifier, such as Sioux of the West, West Schious, Sioux des prairies, Sioux occidentaux, Sioux of the Meadows, Nadooessis of the Plains, Prairie Indians, Sioux of the Plain, Maskoutens-Nadouessians, Mascouteins Nadouessi, and Sioux nomades. Today many of the tribes continue to officially call themselves Sioux . In the 19th and 20th centuries, this was the name which

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6510-404: The Lakota bands in a series of battles, finally ending the Great Sioux War in 1877. The Lakota were eventually confined to reservations, prevented from hunting buffalo beyond those territories, and forced to accept government food distribution. They were largely distributed amongst North and South Dakota, as well as other places around the United States. In 1877, some of the Lakota bands signed

6615-422: The Lakota used Wakan Tanka to refer to an organization or group of sacred entities whose ways were considered mysterious and beyond human understanding. It was the elaboration on these beliefs that prompted scholarly debate suggesting that the term "Great Mystery" could be a more accurate translation of such a concept than "Great Spirit". Activist Russell Means also promoted the translation "Great Mystery" and

6720-412: The Lakota. The Black Hills were considered sacred by the Lakota, and they objected to mining . Between 1866 and 1868 the U.S. Army fought the Lakota and their allies along the Bozeman Trail over U.S. forts built to protect miners traveling along the trail. Oglala Chief Red Cloud led his people to victory in Red Cloud's War . In 1868, the United States signed the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 , exempting

6825-536: The Oglala Sioux tribe and twice been defeated. Several tribal governments – elected by tribal members – issued statements distancing themselves from the independence declaration. Some said that they were watching the independent movement closely. No elected tribal governments endorsed the declaration. The Lakota People made national news when NPR 's "Lost Children, Shattered Families" investigative story aired regarding issues related to foster care for Native American children. It exposed what many critics consider to be

6930-577: The Ojibwe Nation. Warren identified the Crane and Loon clans as the two Chief clans among his mother's Anishinaabe people. Crane Clan was responsible for external governmental relationships, and Loon Clan was responsible for internal governance relationships. Warren believed that the policies of the U.S. government led to the destruction of indigenous clan systems along with their modes of governance when they forced indigenous people to adopt representative government and direct elections of chiefs. Furthermore, he claimed that this destruction led to many wars among

7035-406: The Ojibwe of the time did not consider Warren as "one of them". However, they retained friendly relations with him and considered him as a "half brother" due to his extensive knowledge of the Ojibwe language and culture and the fact that he had Ojibwe ancestry through his mixed Ojibwe-French mother, Marie Cadotte. His work covered much of the culture and history of the Ojibwe, gathered from stories of

7140-494: The Ottawa River valley by several Anishinaabe peoples. The relationship between the various Anishinaabe communities and the United States government has been steadily improving since the passage of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act . Several Anishinaabe communities still experience tensions with the state governments, county governments, and non-Native American individuals and their groups. Clan originally meant extended family. In this system originally, clans were represented by

7245-401: The Saône had moved to the east bank of the Missouri River , followed 10 years later by the Oglála and Brulé (Sičháŋǧu). The large and powerful Arikara , Mandan , and Hidatsa villages had long prevented the Lakota from crossing the Missouri River . However, the great smallpox epidemic of 1772–1780 destroyed three-quarters of the members of these tribes. The Lakota crossed the river into

7350-446: The Supreme Court ruled in their favor and decided in United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians to award US$ 122 million to eight bands of Sioux Indians as compensation for their Black Hills land claims . The Sioux have refused the money, because accepting the settlement would legally terminate their demands for return of the Black Hills. The money remains in a Bureau of Indian Affairs account, accruing compound interest . As of 2011,

7455-454: The Trickster "often use humour, self-mocking, and absurdity to carry good lessons." The Trickster helps teach cultural lessons by "learning lessons the 'hard' way." Within such stories, "Trickster often gets into trouble by ignoring cultural rules and practices or by giving sway to the negative aspects of 'humanness' ... Trickster seems to learn lessons the hard way and sometimes not at all." Contrary to some depictions of Trickster figures,

7560-464: The Trickster in Anishinaabeg stories "has the ability to do good things for others and is sometimes like a powerful spiritual being and [is] given much respect." Stories involving the Trickster serve to "remind us about the good power of interconnectedness within family, community, nation, culture, and land. If we become disconnected, we lose the ability to make meaning from Indigenous stories." Before

7665-668: The US government applied to all Dakota/Lakota people. However, some tribes have formally or informally adopted traditional names: the Rosebud Sioux Tribe is also known as the Sičháŋǧu Oyáte (Brulé Nation), and the Oglala often use the name Oglála Lakȟóta Oyáte , rather than the English "Oglala Sioux Tribe" or OST. (The alternate English spelling of Ogallala is deprecated, even though it is closer to

7770-787: The United States Army in an inter-tribal war west of the Missouri, during the Arikara War in 1823. In 1843, the southern Lakota attacked the village of Pawnee Chief Blue Coat near the Loup in Nebraska, killing many and burning half of the earth lodges. The next time the Lakota inflicted a blow so severe to the Pawnee would be in 1873, during the Massacre Canyon battle near Republican River. Nearly half

7875-713: The West," Santee and Yankton bands. The names Teton and Tetuwan come from the Lakota name thítȟuŋwaŋ , the meaning of which is obscure. This term was used to refer to the Lakota by non-Lakota Sioux groups. Other derivations and spelling variations include: ti tanka, Tintonyanyan, Titon, Tintonha, Thintohas, Tinthenha, Tinton, Thuntotas, Tintones, Tintoner, Tintinhos, Ten-ton-ha, Thinthonha, Tinthonha, Tentouha, Tintonwans, Tindaw, Tinthow, Atintons, Anthontans, Atentons, Atintans, Atrutons, Titoba, Tetongues, Teton Sioux, Teeton, Ti toan, Teetwawn, Teetwans, Ti-t’-wawn, Ti-twans, Tit’wan, Tetans, Tieton, and Teetonwan. Early French sources call

7980-525: The account has grown to over $ 1 billion. In September 2007, the United Nations passed a non-binding Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples . Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand refused to sign. On December 20, 2007, a small group of people led by American Indian Movement activist Russell Means , under the name Lakota Freedom Delegation, traveled to Washington D.C. to announce

8085-626: The arrival of the Europeans, and until at least the 1800s, many Anishinaabeg were subsistence farmers. For example, the Odawa, centered in Michilimackinac , grew corn in the summers and generally moved south in smaller family groups in the winters to hunt game. They tapped sugar maples in the spring, and moved back to the main villages to prepare for the lake sturgeon spawning season and planting. They were "renowned" for their skills at making and using canoes and traded widely. Their kinship

8190-615: The cancellation of the annual distribution of gifts to the Indians, led to the formation of a pan-tribal confederation, composed of several Anishinaabe peoples, to counter British control of the Ohio Country . The resulting conflict, known as Pontiac's War , resulted in a military stalemate that saw the British eventually adopting more conciliatory policies, issuing the Royal Proclamation of 1763 , which forbade further white settlement across

8295-461: The correct pronunciation.) The Lakota have names for their own subdivisions. The Lakota also are the most western of the three Sioux groups, occupying lands in both North and South Dakota. Today, one half of all enrolled Sioux live off reservations . Lakota reservations recognized by the U.S. government include: Some Lakota also live on other Sioux reservations in eastern South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska: In addition, several Lakota live on

8400-443: The cosmos, the earth, the plants, the animals and human beings. To Anishinaabe all life contains the sacred breath of life that was given by Gizhe Mnidoo and all things are animated through this sacred breath. The Anishinaabe give thanks for this gift of Creation through the burning or offering of Semaa or Tobacco . Anishinaabe oral tradition and records of wiigwaasabak (birch bark scrolls) are still carried on today through

8505-527: The crane clan or eagle clan, depending on region, may be aligned with leadership qualities. Conversations surrounding how to change current systems of governance to better match how the people governed themselves over millennia are always occurring throughout Anishinaabe Aki . The Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers are among the most commonly shared teachings in Native culture. They hold great significance to

8610-712: The drier, short-grass prairies of the High Plains. These newcomers were the Saône, well-mounted and increasingly confident, who spread out quickly. In 1765, a Saône exploring and raiding party led by Chief Standing Bear discovered the Black Hills (the Paha Sapa ), then the territory of the Cheyenne . Ten years later, the Oglála and Brulé also crossed the Missouri. Under pressure from the Lakota,

8715-539: The end of the last ice age. This migrating group split in many different directions as they headed towards the land of the rising sun and became the many Indigenous populations that now exist on North America. After reaching the East Coast seven prophets came to the people. Each prophet delivered a specific prophecy to the people that are known as the Seven Fires Prophecies . After the prophets delivered their messages groups of people began to migrate westward to find

8820-717: The fourth most spoken in North America behind Navajo, Cree, and Inuktitut. Potawatomi is a Central Algonquian language. It is spoken around the Great Lakes in Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as in the U.S. state of Kansas . In southern Ontario in Canada, it is spoken by fewer than 50 people. Though the Three Fires had several meeting places, they preferred Michilimackinac due to its central location. The Council met for military and political purposes, and maintained relations with other indigenous peoples, including both fellow Anishinaabeg:

8925-595: The idea of individual soul's connection to the Gichi-manidoo . Consequently, Christian missionaries often used the term Gichi-ojichaag to refer to the Christian idea of a Holy Spirit . The contemporary belief in the great spirit is generally associated with the Native American Church . The doctrine regarding the great spirit within this modern tradition is quite varied and generally takes on Christian ideas of

9030-490: The individual reservations are eligible to vote in periodic elections for that tribe. Each tribe has its own requirements for citizenship, as well its own constitution, bylaws, and elections. or articles of incorporation . Most follow a multi-member tribal council model, with a chairman or president elected at-large , directly by the voters. Nine bands of Dakota and Lakota reside in Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan , with

9135-585: The intellectual tools necessary to exercise authority." The Anishinaabeg see the act of allowing children to share stories as "an act of empowerment." This action "recognizes that even children have something to contribute, and encourages them to do so." Stories are typically shared throughout the winter when there is less to do and the animals are sleeping. The Trickster is a common character in Anishinaabeg storytelling and goes by many names, including Coyote , Raven, Wesakejac, Nanabozho , and Glooscap . They appear in many forms and genders. Stories involving

9240-592: The land where food grows on the water. The fulfilment of this prophecy is understood as when the Anishinaabe found the Mnoomin or Wild Rice that grew on the lakes in the Great Lakes region. This is where the Anishinaabe became Anishinaabe. To the Anishinaabeg the land they encompass is still recognized as Gitchi Mikinaak or Turtle Island. The ethnic identities of the Ojibwa, Odawa, and Potawatomi did not develop until after

9345-642: The lower Mississippi River region and then migrated to or originated in the Ohio Valley . They were agriculturalists and may have been part of the Mound Builder civilization during the 9th–12th centuries CE. Lakota legend and other sources state they originally lived near the Great Lakes : "The tribes of the Dakota before European contact in the 1600s lived in the region around Lake Superior . In this forest environment, they lived by hunting, fishing, and gathering wild rice. They also grew some corn, but their locale

9450-585: The most. In Anishinaabemowin , this word with the reciprocal theme idi indicates that this form of love is mutual. In some communities, Gizhaawenidiwin is used, which in most context means "jealousy" but in this context is translated as either "love" or "zeal." According to Anishinaabeg culture, to honor all creation is to have respect. All of creation should be treated with respect. If an individual wants to be respected, they must also show respect. Some communities instead use Ozhibwaadenindiwin or Manazoonidiwin . According to Anishinaabeg culture, to be brave

9555-709: The number of Lakota had increased to more than 170,000, of whom about 2,000 still spoke the Lakota language ( Lakȟótiyapi ) . After 1720, the Lakota branch of the Seven Council Fires split into two major sects, the Saône, who moved to the Lake Traverse area on the South Dakota–North Dakota–Minnesota border, and the Oglála-Sičháŋǧu, who occupied the James River valley. However, by about 1750

9660-426: The region were primarily trappers and traders and rarely established permanent settlements due to the harsh North American climate. In 1715, French military officer Constant le Marchand de Lignery constructed Fort Michilimackinac , in part to regulate relations with nearby Anishinaabe Indians. The Anishinaabe came into contact with British colonists in the 17th and 18th centuries as they gradually expanded into

9765-533: The removals. The Odawa had been removed from the migration paths of U.S. settlers, so only a handful of communities experienced removal. For the Ojibwa, removal attempts culminated in the Sandy Lake Tragedy , which resulted several hundred deaths. The Potawatomi avoided removal only by escaping into Ojibwa-held areas and hiding from U.S. officials. William Whipple Warren , an American man of mixed Ojibwe and European descent, became an interpreter , assistant to

9870-452: The right to foster their own grandchildren. They are working to redirect federal funding away from the state of South Dakota's D.S.S. to new tribal foster care programs. This would be a historic shift away from the state's traditional control over Lakota foster children. A short film, Lakota in America , was produced by Square. The film features Genevieve Iron Lightning, a young Lakota dancer on

9975-457: The same clan are forbidden from getting married or having intimate relations as this would spell doom for the clan as a whole. In Anishinaabe cultural tradition it is believed that human beings were created on the earth in four distinct places, in their own way. This is what Gizhe Mnidoo or The Creator intended. There are many versions and parts to the Creation story that tell about the creation of

10080-522: The same figure by otherwise disparate cultures. Wakan Tanka ( Wakȟáŋ Tȟáŋka ) can be interpreted as the power or the sacredness that resides in everything, resembling some animistic and pantheistic beliefs. This term describes every creature and object as wakan ("holy") or having aspects that are wakan ; tanka corresponds to "great" or "large". Prior to the Christianization of indigenous Americans by European settlers and missionaries,

10185-403: The spirit. Other Anishinaabe names for such a figure, incorporated through the process of syncretism , are Gizhe-manidoo ("venerable Manidoo "), Wenizhishid-manidoo ("Fair Manidoo ") and Gichi-ojichaag ("Great Spirit"). While Gichi-manidoo and Gichi-ojichaag both mean "Great Spirit", Gichi-manidoo carried the idea of the greater spiritual connectivity while Gichi-ojichaag carried

10290-516: The spiritual traditions of their respective lineage. The Great Spirit is looked to by spiritual leaders for guidance by individuals as well as communities at large. While belief in an entity or entities known as the Great Spirit exists across numerous indigenous American peoples, individual tribes often demonstrate varying degrees of cultural divergence. As such, a variety of stories, parables, fables, and messages exhibiting different, sometimes contradictory themes and plot elements have been attributed to

10395-455: The sun. It’s in the moon. It’s in the stars and the water. It’s in the earth." In the Algonquian tradition, the Great Spirit is known as Gitche Manitou . Due to perceived similarities between the Great Spirit and the Christian deity, European colonial missionaries drew comparison between the two deities as a Christianization conversion technique. The Great Spirit has at times been conceptualized as an " anthropomorphic celestial deity ,"

10500-675: The unified Northern Cheyenne were involved in much of the warfare after 1860. They fought a successful delaying action against General George Crook 's army at the Battle of the Rosebud , preventing Crook from locating and attacking their camp. A week later they defeated the U.S. 7th Cavalry in 1876 at the Battle of the Little Bighorn at the Crow Indian Reservation (1868 boundaries). Custer attacked an encampment of several tribes, which

10605-726: The view that Lakota spirituality is not originally monotheistic . Chief Luther Standing Bear (1868–1939) of the Lakota Nation put it thus: Manitou , akin to the Haudenosaunee concept of orenda , is perceived as the spiritual and fundamental life force by Algonquian peoples . It is believed by practitioners to be omnipresent; manifesting in all things, including organisms , the environment, and events both human-induced and otherwise. Manifestations of Manitou are also believed to be dualistic, and such contrasting instances are known as aashaa monetoo ("good spirit") and otshee monetoo ("bad spirit") respectively. According to legend, when

10710-463: The world was created, the Great Spirit, Aasha Monetoo , gave the land to the indigenous peoples , the Shawnee in particular. The Anishinaabe culture, descended from the Algonquian -speaking Abenaki and Cree , inherited the Great Spirit tradition of their predecessors. Gitche Manitou (also transliterated as Gichi-manidoo ) is an Anishinaabe language word typically interpreted as Great Spirit,

10815-494: Was patrilineal and most Anishinaabe doodemag enforced exogamy , the wife keeping and representing her father's doodem while her children would take on their father's doodem. For the first few years of a marriage, a husband would live with his wife's family, and then they would typically return to the husband's people. As a result, many Anishinaabe villages included people speaking different languages not only from different clans, but also from entirely different peoples, such as

10920-437: Was much larger than he realized. Their combined forces, led by Chief Crazy Horse , killed 258 soldiers, wiping out the entire Custer battalion and inflicting more than 50% casualties on the regiment. Although the Lakota beat Custer's army, the Lakota and their allies did not get to enjoy their victory over the U.S. Army for long. The U.S. Congress authorized funds to expand the army by 2,500 men. The reinforced U.S. Army defeated

11025-455: Was near the limit of where corn could be grown." In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Dakota-Lakota speakers lived in the upper Mississippi Region in territory now organized as the states of Minnesota , Wisconsin , Iowa , and the Dakotas . Conflicts with Anishnaabe and Cree peoples pushed the Lakota west onto the Great Plains in the mid- to late-17th century. Early Lakota history

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