fbpx

KidsKonnect

Sioux Tribe Facts & Worksheets

The Great Plains is a place where a variety of native nations lived, such as the Sioux Indians. Sioux is the name of a tribe and means “little snakes”.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /Social Studies /Native American History /Sioux Tribe Facts & Worksheets
Premium
Sioux Tribe Worksheets
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

The Great Plains is a place where a variety of native nations lived, such as the Sioux Indians. Sioux is the name of a tribe and means “little snakes”. They are a native American, nomadic tribe and also occupy Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North and South Dakota. The Sioux Indians are known as a powerful tribe with a great history.

See the fact file below for more information on the Sioux Tribe or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Sioux Tribe worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ORIGIN OF THE TRIBE

  • Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota are primary divisions of the Sioux tribe.
  • The names mean “Allies” or “Confederate”. They were classified based on their location, dialect, and subculture. These divisions are autonomous.
  • This means that each division has its own government, laws, and more. The divisions’ political leader is called “Itancan”, which translates as “Chief” of “President” in English.
  • Originally, there were 13 Sioux political subdivisions. The Mdewakanton, Sisseton, Teton, Wahpekute, Wahpeton, Yankton, and Yanktonai are the seven major tribes combined.
  • However, these tribes have more cultural impact than political in the current generation.

THE THREE PRIMARY DIVISIONS

  • The Warrior culture was denoted for the Lakota Sioux. They were from the west part of the country.
  • They include seven bands, the Oglala, Hunkpapa, Sicangu, Miniconjous, Sihasapa, Oohenumpa, and Itazipacola.
  • Tetonwan or Teton, the “Dwellers on the Plains”, is the other name for Lakota. They were the major opponents of the US Army during the Sioux Wars.
  • The “Knife Makers” denoted the Dakota Sioux, also known as the Isanti/Santee.
  • The Dakota were from the east of the country. They included four bands, the Sisseton, Wahpekute, Mdewakanton, and Wahpeton.
  • The Nakota Sioux are also known as Ihanktown. They are considered as the smallest division located in the east.
  • Nakota Sioux is named as the “Keepers of the Sacred Pipestone”. They have three bands, the Yankton, the Upper Yankton, and the Lower Yankton.

LIFESTYLE AND CULTURE OF THE TRIBE

  • The Sioux tribe are known for their hunting and warrior culture. They have been in conflict with the White Settlers and the US Army.
  • Warfare became the central part of the Plains of the Indian Culture.
  • The Sioux tribe were admired for their great courage and exceptional physical strength.
  • They roamed the Great Plains hunting buffalos. The buffalos provide everything the tribe needs, such as food, clothes, and housing.
  • During the war, the Sioux men wore warpaint to make them fiercer.
  • The colors they used were believed to have protective powers.

THE DOMAIN OF THE TRIBE

  • The Sioux tribe live on the Great Plains of the Native American group.
  • Their lifestyle and culture have been influenced by the geography of their domain.
  • The Great Plains of America extend across Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
  • The Great Plains are covered by grass with streams and rivers. They have hot summers and cold winters.
  • The animals that can be hunted include buffalo, deer, bear, eagles, wolves, and many more.

THE NECESSITIES OF THE SIOUX

  • The Sioux tribe houses are made from the skin of buffalos. Their tent-like homes are called teepees. They are made from wooden poles covered by animal skins, mostly from buffalos.
  • The teepees are pyramid-shaped, with few openings. They are rounded at the base and have a tapering at the top to release smoke.
  • The seating, bedding, and covers are made from buffalo hides. In the center of the tepees is a hearth for cooking and heating.
  • Teepees are approximately 12 to 16 in in diameter. The Sioux houses are easy to build and dismantle, which suits to their nomadic lifestyle.
  • Their food comes mainly from hunting, such as buffalos, deer, bears, and turkeys.
  • The meats are complemented with roots and vegetables such as potatoes and spinach. The vegetables are flavored with herbs.
  • They also eat fruit, and when animal food is scarce, the tribe eats dried buffalo meat called pemmican.
  • The Sioux tribe commonly used bows and arrows, stone ball clubs, jaw bone clubs, hatchet axes, spears, lances, and knives for hunting. For defense, they used war shields, and also rifles when the Whites started to invade.
  • Sioux clothing was made mostly from skins of deer and buffalos. The women were responsible for the design of the clothing. Sioux clothing was decorated with beads in geometric designs and ornaments, for necklaces and armbands.
  • The Sioux men’s clothing consisted of breechcloth, fringed buckskin tunics or shirts or leggings. To protect them from rain and cold, the Sioux men wore warm buffalo robes or cloaks.
  • The Sioux men elders wore feathered war bonnets designed with eagle feathers, ermine fur, and beadwork as a symbol of honor and accomplishment.
  • Sioux women wore knee-length dresses and leggings. The leggings covered their legs up to the knee.
  • They were held with garters. The woman also wore buffalo robes to keep warm and dry. On special occasions, Sioux women wore dresses decorated with beads and painted with signs and symbols concerning their tribal identity and family values.
  • The women’s hair was done in two thick braids decorated with beads.

THE RELIGION AND RITUALS OF THE TRIBE

  • Animism is the religion of the tribe. They believe that all-natural objects such as plants, animals, trees, and more have souls and spirits.
  • The Lakota Sioux have their own mythology. The Sioux tribe believed in Chapa, the beaver spirit that symbolizes domesticity, labor, and preparation, and also the Great Spirit, Manitou.
  • The Sioux tribe had different rituals, including the Sweat Lodge Ceremony, the Vision Quest and the Sun Dance Ceremony, the keeping of the souls, a rite of purification, making relatives, and throwing of the ball.

Sioux Tribe Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Sioux Tribe across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Sioux Tribe worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Great Plains which is a place where a variety of native nations lived, such as the Sioux Indians. Sioux is the name of a tribe and means “little snakes”. They are a native American, nomadic tribe and also occupy Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North and South Dakota. The Sioux Indians are known as a powerful tribe with a great history.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Sioux Tribe Facts
  • Primary Divisions
  • Making Teepees
  • Altering Clothes
  • Writing Beliefs
  • Jumbled Tribe
  • Guess the Thing
  • Today’s Lifestyle
  • Sioux Questions
  • Sioux Analysis
  • Missing Term

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Sioux Tribe Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 4, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources