The Dakota Sioux

Who were the Dakota Sioux?

The Dakota Sioux were Native Americans who lived in the Minnesota area.

Who was the Dakota Sioux chief?

The chief of the Dakota Sioux was Little Crow.

What did the Dakota Sioux agree to in their first treaty?

The Dakota Sioux signed a treaty with the US Government in 1851. The tribe gave up 24 million acres of land in return for a one-off payment of $1.4 million, plus $80,000 a year in money and resources.

What were the problems with the treaty the Dakota Sioux had signed?

There were several problems with the treaty they had signed:

• ❖ Much of the money went straight to traders to whom the tribe was in debt, so the Dakota Sioux only got what was left. When they refused to agree to this, payments were withheld.
• ❖ They often ran out of food, as they could not produce enough to last the winter. They went outside of the reservations to hunt and were punished by having more money withheld.
• ❖ Food was not sold to them until they agreed to the high prices being set. The only other option was starvation, so they had no option.
• ❖ More land was taken from them for settlers.
• ❖ The brotherhoods within the tribe often ventured out of the reservation to raid the settlers for resources.

What did the Dakota Sioux's second treaty involve?

The second treaty, in 1858, saw the Dakota Sioux sign away another half of their land in return for more money as they were in debt to traders again. Little Crow was particularly unhappy with this.

What happened to the Dakota Sioux in 1862?

In August 1862 the Dakota Sioux's crops failed and there was no harvest. The traders refused to give them food on credit. They had no money, as their payment from the government had been delayed. They resorted to trying to eat grass. This led to Little Crow's War.

What happened to the Dakota Sioux?

After Little Crow's War, the rest of the Dakota Sioux were moved to Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota. The land was dry and barren, and most of them died in their first winter there, in 1863-4.