What did the Sioux live in? The Sioux lived in what are today called "tipis". Tipi comes from the Sioux language meaning "to dwell". The Sioux made these homes out of birch bark and animal skin. These homes would mainly be used to follow game, especially bison. Tipis would usually have a design on the front which would either be a symbol of their tribe or an animal. A hole could be found at the top so smoke could be vented outside of the tipi. A tipi home was not very strong and could easily suffer severe damage during rough storms or strong winds.
The Sioux tribes lived in several different regions. The Isanti lived in the extreme east of the Dakotas, the Yankton lived in the west of the Dakotas, and the Lakota lived in the western most part of the Dakotas. These tribes, as well as many others, have migrated throughout most of the states near the Dakotas.These states included North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Colorado. Each state was mainly open plains. The picture above is of the Montana plains. All of these areas were great for agriculture, farming, and hunting game especially buffalo.
Farming for the Sioux's was adequate. They had fertile soil but due to the migration of the buffalo they were only able to grow small amounts of food. They grew corn, squash, beans, and tobacco. Each of which they would share amongst each other. Only women harvested the crops for their tribes.
There is a river named after them called the Big Sioux River which is located in Iowa and a part of South Dakota. It's 390 miles long. The river was mapped by French explorers in 1688 and again in 1839 but with more details. The river passes through a region that provides corn, oats, pigs, and cattle.
The Sioux are known for their hunting and farming skills. Although farming was minimal, they made up for it by hunting. The Sioux were also known as the people of the plains because they lived in areas that were mostly plains. Today the Sioux and many other Native Americans reside on reservations across the United States and Canada. There are 100,000 Sioux in the United States and more then 10,000 in Canada at the present time.
