Dakota+native+american+research+Melissa+C.

__Dakota Native American tribe__

The Dakota Native American tribe is a very religous and kind-hearted tribe. They express this through their art, history, culture, and myths and legends. Over the years, they have kept many of their past customs, but have they been successful in maintaning their identitiy and culture throughout the years? Well, let's see. The Dakota indians' history hasn't changed much over the years. They used to live in Arkansas, and the Dakota territory stretched all the way to the Rocky mountains up north. They still live up north today, mostly in North and South Dakota.

The Dakota native americans have a large amount of ceremonies and cultural events. Wakantanka is their main god, also known as the "Great Mystery". The Dakotas believe all people are holy, so all life is sacred to them. In the past, the Dakota indians were not allowed to practice their religion, since the Americans tried to strip them of their identity and rule over them. They were finally allowed to have a religion in 1978. Throughout the entire time, though, they still secretly believed in "Great Mystery." Today, the Dakotas have different ceremonies and rituals. A famous ceremony is a giveaway, when the entire tribe gives as many gifts as possible to the old, poor, or people who have traveled a great distance. They believe this brings the tribe closer together. At feasts, women will serve a small portion of food they cook to the spirits of past ancestors and relatives. they believe this is a way of getting closer to past relatives. A famous tribal color is blue, since it symbolizes pure spirit, and it is the color of the sky. Using blue paint establishes a spiritual relationship between people. They also have other ceremonies, such as the Sun Dance, which is a new ceremony to them. They also have plenty of other ceremonies!

Art is a big part of their lifestyle. Dakota women will make beads and jewelry from animal bone. They use it to make necklaces, and chokers. They will also make metal jewelry to wear as necklaces. Buffalo hide is special to the Dakota indians, so they will decorate buffalo hide with paint and beadwork. They will also use animal horns and antlers for jewelry. Even birdfeathers are used for headresses for ceremonies. The Dakotas make pottery and calumets, or pipes for ceremonies. Their form of art really hasn't changed much from the past to the present.

The Dakota Native Americans have many myths and legends past down from generation to generation. The legends tell tales that teach others about life, and how things came to be today. Others are just for some humor! One legend is called The Pact of Fire. This legend is about the first man, women, and dog on Earth. The first dog gives birth to pups and needs the first man and women to help feed them during a bitter winter. So, she made a Pact of Fire with them. Mankind shall nurture her pups and her offspring for as long as humans live.If not given the proper love, then humans would suffer war, hunger, and diseases. This legend tells how humans came to bond with dogs, and why we have tradgedies on Earth. Another legend is The Forgotten Ear of Corn. This legend is about a women who was picking corn in the fields, when she heard a small cry. it was an ear of corn she had forgotten to pick. Ever since that inccident, women were careful not to leave behind a single piece of corn and upset "Great Mystery". Another legend is called Little Brave and the Medicine Woman. This was about a boy that wanted to scare his friends. His friends were exploring a graveyard after hearing about a story that a man tripped over nothing near a medicine woman's grave. Brave covered himself in sand and hides in a grave and waits. When his friends come, he rises from the grave and chases them back to the village. Soon, the whole village is running away from Brave, until he went down to a river and washed the sand off.

The Dakota Native Americans have plenty of culture, history, art, and myths and legends, but have they done a good job in keeping their identity from the past to the present? I would say yes. Even though the Americans mainly afected the Dakota trbe by trying to rule them by force and by religion, the Dakotas have done a good job of keeping past cultures and art. They even still live in the same area they lived in in the past. I would definitly say the Dakota Native Americans have done a good job of maintaining their identity.