American Environmental History The Great Sioux Nation

Skylar Cashin Colleen Goodrich American Environmental History 2 May 2016 The Great Sioux Nation Among the great native tribes that called the Americas their home, none are as iconic in American culture than the Native Americans of the great plains. Among these tribes, there arose the Great Sioux Nation, one of the largest and most powerful of them all. They seem to have had a deep connection with and have held a gentle balance with nature that few cultures throughout human history have seemed to match; yet, history has shown that Native Americans didn’t quite have the same romanticized relationship with their environment that many depict. As Americans started to expand westward, there were few who were able to stand up to â€Å"manifest†¦show more content†¦Many believe that the name Sioux derived from the Chippeway word for Snake or Enemy: â€Å"Nadowessioux. Others trace it to the early Ottawa word â€Å"natowessi,† from a verb meaning to speak a foreign language.† The Sioux were proud people with rich heritage. They were masters of the North A merican plains and were feared by many tribes. The wide spread of Siouan-language people, from the the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes, confirms their importance to the history of North America, before the arrival of Europeans. Men usually did most of the hunting and fishing, while women were known to stay with the camp and prepare meals, take care of children, chop wood, etc. Nomadic bison hunting, popularized in many Hollywood movies, was not the only lifestyle of the Siouan people. They engaged in many activities that Americans wouldn’t think true of them such as trading, diplomacy, agriculture, pastoralism, religious innovation, politics, and warfare. With these strategies, the Plains peoples did their best to protect their political power and maintain cultural distinctiveness in the face of the â€Å"white folk.† The Sioux became well acquainted with the westward push for American expansion, especially in a time where American attitudes toward Natives were becoming more and more negative. After the War of 1812, Native American relations in theShow MoreRelatedStanding Rock Sioux Tribe : An Act Of Racism And Climate Change1146 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The Sioux Tribe is suing to stop crews from burrowing beneath the Missouri river which is upstream from that Sioux Tribes land. 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