The
Oglala Lakota or
Oglala Sioux, (ogəˈlala), meaning "to scatter one's own" in
Siouan, live in the
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in
South Dakota bordering
Nebraska and 50 miles east of
Wyoming, the second largest
reservation in the
United States. The reservation has broadly three parts, pine covered
hills and
ridges, grassy
plains and a
desert area. All three parts are noted for natural beauty. The Oglala Sioux see themselves primarily as part of the Lakota Sioux people.
History
The Oglala Sioux, along with the six other groups of Lakota, had separated from each other by the early 19th century. By 1830, the Oglala had around 3,000 members. In the 1820s and 1830s the Oglala, along with the Brules (another division of Lakota) and three other Sioux sects, formed the Sioux Alliance. This Alliance caused much warfare between the Western Sioux and surrounding tribes for territorial and hunting reasons.
Gender roles
Typically, in the Oglala Sioux society, the men are in charge of the
politics of the tribe. The men were usually the
chiefs, leaders, and hunters. However, women are and always have been highly regarded and respected in the
tribe. Any forms of violence against women are severely looked down upon. Lineage was traced via females, but both genders were equal in decisions and power.
Traditional culture
Family was and still is of utmost importance to the Oglala Sioux, with loyalty to the tribe coming in close second. Each family had one or more tipi households. Most women stayed home and cooked and did work around the tipi until the men came home with food. Women were never hit, but they are the sacred ones.
Bands
Each of the seven Lakota tribes were subdivided into bands (
tiyospaye), which consisted of a number of smaller family camps (
tiwahe). During parts of the year, the small camps were scattered across the region; at other times, these camps gathered together as a
tiyospaye to cooperate on activities such as a large buffalo hunt. Each summer, usually in early June, bands from many groups gathered together for the annual sacred
Sun Dance.
Writing in 1875, the Indian agent at the Red Cloud Agency, Dr. John J. Saville, noted that the Oglala tribe was divided into three main bands: the Kiyuksa, the Oyuhpe and the head band or True Oglala. "Each of these bands are subdivided into smaller parties, variously named, usually designated by the name of their chief or leader.
In the years immediately following the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, these bands became increasingly polarized as leaders struggled with decisions relating to the continued American encroachment on their territory. Some bands chose to come in to the Indian agencies (forerunner to the reservations) where they received beef and other rations from the U.S. government. Other bands decided to remain out, attempting to continue the traditional lifeways for as long as possible. Many bands moved between these two extremes, coming in to the agencies during the winter and joining their relatives in the north each spring. These challenges further split the various Oglala bands.
Just prior to confinement on the reservations, the Oglala bands included:
Oyuhpe Tiyospaye
- True Oyuhpe (Big Road's band)
- Wakan
- Makaicu (Red Dog's band)
True Oglala Tiyospaye
Kiyaksa Tiyspaye
- Kuinyan (Little Wound's band)
- Tapisleca (Yellow Bear's band)
On the reservation
After being moved several times during the 1870s, the
Red Cloud Agency was relocated one final time in 1878 and renamed the
Pine Ridge Reservation. By 1890, the reservation included 5537 people, divided between at least 30 distinct bands.
Notes
See also
Further Reading
References
