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AUTHORTITLE

INSTITUTION

SPONS AGENCYPUB DATENOTE

PUB TYPE

EDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS

DOCUMENT RESUME

RC 020 208

Carr, John C.; And Others.Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre. Cuesheet for

Students.John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,

Washington, D.C.Department of Education, Washington, DC.9513p.; Photographs and illustrations may not reproduce

adequately.Guides Classroom Use Instructional Materials (For

Learner) (051)

MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.*American Indian Culture; American Indian History;Cultural Activities; Cultural Education; *CulturalEnrichment; *Dance; Elementary Secondary Education;*Lakota (Tribe); Learning Activities; Sioux (Tribe);

Theater ArtsIDENTIFIERS Dance Companies; *Spirituality

ABSTRACTThis performance guide provides students with an

introduction to Lakota Sioux history and culture and to the dancesperformed by the Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre. The Lakota Siouxbelieve that life is a sacred circle in which all things areconnected, and that the circle was broken for them in 1890 by themassacre at Wounded Knee. Only in recent times is the circle becoming

whole again as American Indians struggle to achieveself-determination and renew their heritage. Sioux legends andhistories have been collected and published. Old skills are beingused again. Dance is a central part of life, expressing belief inspirits, nature, and the relationship of all things to one another.Eight dances performed by the Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre aredescribed, along with their purposes and significance. The guideincludes information about the dance company, pointers to enhanceappreciation of the performance, suggestions for related studentactivities, and a list of related reading materials and videos.(JAT)

***********************************************************************

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document. IC

'411 '4( *-11

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R.,,

The circle appears over

and over in the culture of

the Lakota Sioux. They believe that life is

a sacred circle in which all thongs are

connectednature, animals, and humans.

Sometimes Lakota Sioux refer to the circle as

the Sacred Hoop. When Lakota Sioux

perform the hoop dance they are doing

the dance of life, seeking harmony

r'"-- -r?,-,.--7-

' '14,4; A

4

inmimusemsg*'

and balance in all things.

0**it 0..

ono

4

Welcome to Cuesheet,

one of a series of

performance guides

published by the

Education Department

of the John F. Kennedy

Center for the

Performing Arts,

Washington, D.C. This .

Cuesheet is designed to

be used before and

after attending a

performance by the

Lakota Sioux Indian

Dance Theatre. You may

use Cuesheet alone or

with others. Some of the

suggested activities in it

will be more interesting

if they are done with

classmates, friends, or

family members.

1CIPP

WHArS INCUESHEET?

The Lakota Sioux: A Rich

History, page 2

Spirits and Myths,

page 5

dances and the Circle

of Life, page 6

The Lakota Sioux

Indian Dance

Theatre, page 8

Looking and

Listening, page 9

Family, °immunity,

and Nature's Cycle,

page 10 .

The Buffalo: A Valued

Friend, page 12

You May Want To...,

page 12

:7):TT

THE LAKOTA SIOUX:A RICH HISTORY

7 .111,r7-71 ;7:

Native Americans once lived throughout what is now the United States. in

1492, when Columbus arrived in the Americas, there were about two

million Native Americans living in 300 tribes.

According to scientists, the ancestors of Native Americanscame to North America from Siberia at least 20,000years ago. During the Ice Age, the sea level dropped:causing a land

bridge to appear at the Berintrait. Huntirtg..buffal9 and woolly

mammoth, they crossed theVridgi. Natiie lAirtericans believe their

ancestOrs aktiays lived on this cOntinenr"

l_agenumberCz'ithative Americanlived on the Great'Plains. The Sioux

Med there ince#1600s.TheAsaRed along the Mississippi River as

drniers and hunters in places that today are the states of Minnesota,

Wisconsin, and lowa.When they were defeated by their American Indian

enemies and when white settlers seized their land, the Sioux hadto leave their farms and.hunting grounds andwander in search of a new home. Eventually,they

reached the Great Plains and learned to lead nomadic lives, moving from

place to place in search of food.

Farming, forests, and lakes were

forgotten as the Sioux

learned to live in an

"ocean of grass':

-

BEST COPY AVAILABLE3

-

COLUMBUS mademisi-ake whetA he

i-he vtatives

o.P tiori-k America

"los. kddos." He

N'elieved `oy

sat1413 west. 4v0VA

Europe -Pow evioujHA

he would arrivesomewhere 4, Asia.

Like oi-herEuropeoms, he did

kvtow

Americas exist-ed.Because hei-koulki- he was

t..he ItIdiowt

Oceom whevi he

lowtded al- Sow;

Salvador IslavAd

+-he Bahama

lslomds, he called,i-he people he wtei-

"los Ihdtos

THE GREATPLAINS covermore 1-how; 1,500,000

square mtles Thei-erroth, a 4-1Ae

Great- Plaths vowtes.

li- has vast-

gYassl etv;615. I i- otiSi

Inas some rugged

hills, suck as Fhe

BiOleg- Hills, whtch

owe t-he sacred.

cerelmoblial oyoumcks

oP i-he Sioux.

THE NAMESwhichNative AtmeYicovA

1-yi`oes were .5ivev i-o

i-heth

exployers emd,

set-i-lers. The

Ckippew.ak coIled

Ike SictAx

"NatdewistAe" (),-dety-wee-soo), I-he

woyd. -Foy "liH-le

sokke," wieemivtg

evtemy." FyetAch

ex-ployeys had(

sayivtg

i-ke vtaWote Olvtd

ti-skoyi-evted

"Siohx." The Siohxowe cohiposed o-P

4-k,ree py4Icipokl

lovnohotse T'01APS

rnith di.P-Peve$1.

potyi-s oP i-he

Pak() 4,at, cold

Netkot-m. Tlney

meevri "i-ke people."

RESERVATIONScwe 1,1;Aces sei-

aside 1,, -FederalcAvck

3overvtmeni-s -PoY

lhoki;Avts Fo live ovt.

Tkere Okre c%0X5UI''

300 yeserveki-iom

locoti-ed 4, '34

s4eati-es.

^

41.1111twat

The Sioux were one of the'30 tribes that lived on the Great Plains.They

soon became fierce warriors and buffalo hunters. From 1830 until 1870,

the SiouxIndians.

Unfortunately, contact with white settlers

brought the Sioux great misery: Settlerstook the Sioux land and built fences

. .around it to keep out other settlers and to prevent the

.,- Sioux from reclaiming it.The

were the most powerful Plains

, United States Government

made treaties with

Native Americans"

guaranteeing their ownership of

land. Unfortunately, all those

treaties were broken by

tne Government. Many Sioux died of diseases like smallpox and

measles, which the settlers brought with them and to which the Sioux were

not immune. Many Sioux died in battleS with army troops sent to

control them. Like other Native Americans, they were forced to livein poverty on reservations.

For the Sioux, the final devastating massacre of theii people occurred

in 1890 at the Battle of Wounded Knee, when almost 250 men, women,

and children were killed by United States soldiers.The Lakota Sioux believe

that the sacred circle of life was broken for them at that

battle, and it is only in recent times that the circle is becoming whole again.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

HERE ARE MANy<

fascinating

details concerning The.,

Battle of Wounded -.

Knee. Research and ...

explain what role,the

Ghost Dance played in .

the battle, why the_

battle happened, and.

what its res Its Were.

.2*

THE SACREDPIPE is t-he

ob3eci-s

i-ke Sioux. The

woockevc emel

pipesi-otke bowl.

represelgi- 4.-tAe

Ameyicak lndiatk's

body. The 1-cbacco

sok i-he bowl

represeki-s 001 livi

T'eevi i-hih3s. The

smoke covAes

.Prom 4-he pipe rep-

resevki-s {-he breoki-k

o i-he people, okyld

'Li- cowries prayers F0

vslokkoklk Tookkok, {-he

Cyeati-or.

PART OF THELAND i-okkeh

-Pro i-he

Lakoi-a Sioux.is fheBlokclg. Hills oP Sou,Fh

Dokkot-a, 1-kely

sacred ceremoYtialsrouolds. rke ni`oevAed i-he thkii-ed

Sfai-es f;overvkweiAl-

-Por e i-tAyvt

pay+ cyt which

NO oke lives. i l"IST

i-he Goverksm.eni-

okdv.kii-i-ed if woks

utrovk okYtot oPPered

i-o poky millic%ks oc

dollars fo 1-he l-ribe.

'The Sioux ye.Pused

i-he movtey e6i,

;Appealed i-he

'they wThi- c.tly

fheir sacred lowidrei-Lkylked. By 1114

'.O decisiok had

bee,4 Yeackee1.

:11 -?...4.11) -

_1:" v.

Today, Lakota Sioux continue to live on reservations in North and

South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Montana. Some live in

Canada. However, many Lakota Sioux live, as other Americans do,

in urban communities throughout the country. Todaythere are about 1.900.000 Native Americansliving in the United States.

Since 1924, when Indians were recognized as American citizens, their

lives have gradually improved. But their struggle

goes on. New homes and roads are being

built on reservations.There are new

and better schools. Over 30 tribal

colleges and universities

throughout the

country offer

programs which

include the study

of Native American

heritage.

More and more AmericanIndians are claimingtheir civil rights. The

American Indian Movement (AIM)

and other reservation-based

organizations have helped to bring

about change. "Self-determination,"

by which Indians decide how they

will use the natural resources on

the reservations and make other

decisions for themselves, has

become important.

The Sioux are sharing more and

more of the pride they feel about

their heritage. Sioux legends and

histories have been collected and

published. Old skills are used

again.The Lakota Sioux Indian

Dance Theatre shares an ancient

culture through rituals, songs,.and

dances presented to audiences

throughout the world.

inHE NAMES of many

11 places in the United

States have American

Indian names. Some of .

them are:

Potomac (River),

Manhattan,

Chicago,

Appalachia,

and Mississippi.

Identify places in the

city or state where you

live that have Indian

names. Find out

what the names

, mean. Make a small

dictionary of them.

"e4.:,;'Its-.

OME FAMOUS

4?Lakota Sioux

leaders wereChief

Sitting Bull, Chief Red

Cloud, Chief Black Elk,

Chief Crazy-Horse, and

Chief Sp`otted TaiL Find

out why they are ,

remembered. Alone or

with othrs, make a

booklet in which you

include their

biogr hies and

pictifres. Donate your., 41. ,

booklet to the school

library or media center.

Prayer to the Buffalo

. 5 BEST Copy AVA ,A 13LE

?bik

THE SIOUX r e staved:

i-he eaqe i-he

mosi- pot.ve4k1 oc

biYds. They alsobeheve has

ivApoy+-alvt-

,elisiou,s

si3vti-Pi-

coukce.

SecaLAse

il- COM 4-ly

evioiActh i-o vlisappeow

%nekind, cloLAds,

i-he SiotAx believe

i-he easlecomvALivticati-es

pYmyeYs i-ke

oYeai- Walcav,

Tavika. The tmosi-

sacYed -Peai-keys

covAe -Pyov4 1-ke

ea3ie. Eot&ePeai-keys aye used

iv% kNOVe \,(VMe i-s, ahd,

,-;.1

: I I

4 s

Tr

ORM AND MYTHSSPIRITSThe Sioux pray to the Great Spirit, Wakan

Tanka, who created the sacred circle of life on

earth.They believe Wakan Tankagave power to all things.Native Americans believe that special

powers were given to many different

animal spirits, such as the eagle, deer, hawk,

nd buffalo.Many times animal

-10is*ireall0.uponvision

A00.44;

as ?ay.+ o-P ekahce

cosi-tAwtes.

MEDICINE MEN ave

people who hcAve

yeceived speciodheolhIl powey Pyoh,

WaltokYt

Tkey are fhespirituml leadeys o-P

Fhe

qsaround 12

years of

age was carefully prepared by tribal elders and

a medicine man to go on the first of many vision

quests. He would go to a quiet and lonely place to

fast, taking with him the sacred pipe.Through the

vision quest he hoped to receive a message from

Wakan Tanka and to gain wisdom

"11

Eagle Dance

and strength to help him be a

good member

of the

tribe,

and to

understand his place in the circle of life. If the boy had a vision, he told it to

the medicine man, who interpreted it for him.

t

otb. .411,.M11,' re,°'"k

t I

0A14.1,11mlymmtfaiM

. .

11

4

11

MYTHSMyths are traditional stories passed along through oral tradition. Some

myths explain how things came to exiSt. Some myths tell about gods and

heroes. Some myths tell why people and animals behave the way they do.

Different groups of people tell different myths, but many of them are

sjrnilar throughout.the world.

Lakota Sioux myths teach that humans are a tiny partof a large and mysterious universe. They also help

explain the sacred circle of life. Prayer, expressed through ritual and

ceremony, is the way to make sure that life on earth is good.

Among the responsibilities of the wise men of the tribe was to be

keepers-of tribal memories, including myths. They were also responsible for

passing on how to perform rituals and ceremonies.

the impor-

t feathers to the

Lak a Sioux. What is a

"coup"? Why was

counting coups

important to warriors?

Make a set of drawings. :

showing how feathers

were worn by the SiOux

to show their bravery

and accomplishments in.

battle.

WRITE A POEMthat expresses

. the respect Lakota

Sioux feel for the eagle.

BEST COPY A1AILABLE

DA

WE

S A

ND

TH

EC

IRC

LE

OF

LIF

ED

ance

is a

cen

tral

par

t ofth

e lif

e of

the

Lako

ta

Sio

ux p

eoP

le.T

hey

danc

e to

exp

ress

thei

r be

lief

in s

pirit

s, n

atur

e, a

nd th

e re

latio

nshi

p of

aR

thin

gs

..to

one

anot

her.

The

y da

nce

to s

hare

trad

ition

s.

The

y da

nce

to h

onor

peo

ple.

The

y da

nce

in p

ow-

wow

s to

cel

ebra

te th

eir

cultu

re. A

nd th

ey d

-,nc

e

to e

njoy

them

selv

es.

Nat

ive

Am

eric

an d

ance

rsda

nce

in h

onor

of

Wal

can

Tan

ka. t

he.G

reat

Spi

rit.

Whe

n

they

dan

ce to

exp

ress

thei

r be

liefs

, to

shar

e

trad

ition

s, o

r to

hon

or p

eopl

e, a

ll th

e m

embe

rs o

f

the

trib

e ar

e pa

rt o

f the

dan

ce. E

ven

the

peop

le

stan

ding

aro

und

the

circ

le in

whi

ch th

e da

nces

are.

perf

orm

ed a

re p

art o

f it.

Mot

hers

may

hol

d

babi

es, p

eopl

e m

ay c

hat a

nd g

Oss

ip, b

ut

ever

yone

hel

ps th

e da

ncer

s by

-pra

ying

and

shou

ting

'app

rova

l and

app

laud

ing.

In th

at W

ay,.

'all

the

mem

bers

of

the

trib

e'p

artic

ipat

e in

the

danc

e.W

hen

the.

danc

ers.

perf

orm

in fr

ont 6

f

.aild

ienc

es in

thea

ters

, thi

ng. s

:are

diff

eren

t.The

,di

ncer

s ar

e sh

arin

g th

eir

trad

itiO

ns w

ith a

nt.

telli

ng a

boiit

thei

r hi

stor

y to

non

trib

ai a

udie

nces

.

Sin

ce th

ey p

erfo

rm o

n a

stag

e ra

thei

than

in.ih

e sa

cred

circ

le o

n th

eir

rese

rvat

ions

,a

.na

rrat

or e

xpla

ins

the

cian

ees

soth

at th

e.au

dien

Ce

will

und

erst

and

them

.Whe

n

.dan

ces.

are

perf

orm

ed fo

r ot

her

Lako

ta S

ioux

,

ever

yone

und

erst

ands

thei

r m

eani

ng b

ecau

se

they

hav

e gr

own

up p

artic

ipat

ing

in th

em.

AT

TH

E P

ER

FO

RM

AN

CE

of t

heLi

kota

Sio

ux In

dian

Dan

ce T

heat

re, t

he n

arra

tor

'will

exp

lain

the

mea

ning

of e

ach

danc

e. H

e w

ill

.als

o di

scus

s irn

port

antld

eas

abou

t.the

his

tory

and

belie

fs o

f the

Lak

ota

Sio

Ux.

The

dan

cerS

will

som

etim

es,s

ing

whi

le th

ey d

ance

.Som

e

inem

be'rs

will

pla

y th

e flu

te.a

nd d

rum

.The

re a

re

man

y ki

nds

of d

ance

s pe

rfor

med

by.

the

Lako

ta

Sio

ux In

dian

Dan

ce T

heat

re. A

few

of t

hem

are

desc

ribed

oh

thes

e pa

ges.

erai

rr"

.1

Tin

HO

OP

DA

NC

E c

eleb

rate

sth

e w

ay o

f .

life

of a

ll N

ativ

e A

mer

ican

s. O

ne le

gend

say

sth

at

the

hoop

dan

ce is

abo

ut th

esa

cred

circ

le

- W

hen

a pe

rson

does

the

hoop

dan

ce h

e is

ackn

owle

dgin

g th

e sa

cred

circ

le a

nd a

ll th

eth

ings

that

are

con

nect

ed w

ithin

it.

r1;

;;-

TH

E G

RA

SS

DA

NC

E is

als

o ca

lled

The

Gra

ss F

latte

ning

Dan

ce. T

he d

ance

rs

flatte

n a

gras

sy a

rea

whe

re a

spe

cial

eve

ntta

kes

plac

e. In

the

past

, tho

se w

ho

perf

orm

ed th

e da

nce

wer

e ad

mire

d be

caus

ew

hen

they

dan

ced

they

cle

anse

d an

d

purif

ied

the

circ

le in

whi

ch th

ey d

ance

d:T

he m

ovem

ent,

in c

ombi

natio

n w

ith th

e

swee

tgra

ss o

n th

eda

ncer

s' le

ggin

gs, a

re a

n of

ferin

g to

the

Ear

th M

othe

r an

dto

the

Gre

at S

pirit

.tdda

y,.d

ance

rs w

ear

yarn

on.th

eir

legg

ir* in

stea

d of

sw

eetg

rass

.

TH

E W

OM

EN

'SS

HA

WL

DA

NC

Ere

quire

s da

ncer

s to

impr

ovis

e m

ove-

men

t to

unus

ually

fast

dru

m b

eats

.

Impo

rtan

t in

the

danc

e ar

e th

e

wom

en's

frin

ged

shaw

ls a

nd b

eade

d

legg

ings

and

oc-

casi

ns.T

he w

men

mov

e th

eir

a m

s to

imita

te e

a11

.wi

Sha tra

ion

was

inve

1940

s aq

...

,_

TH

E B

UF

FA

LO D

AN

CE

hon

ors

...:t.

;,...i

...tA

tie-a

nim

a th

at 'g

ave

t e L

akot

a S

ioux

food

,.

She

lter,

and

-oth

er m

eans

of s

urvi

val:W

s da

nce

was

orig

inal

ly p

erfo

rined

by

mem

bers

of.

the

4uffa

lo in

thei

r vi

sion

que

sts.

cl.r

eatn

edbf

the

..

,

TH

E W

OM

EN

'S T

RA

DIT

ION

AL

DA

NC

E h

onor

sw

omen

, who

rep

rese

nt M

othe

rE

arth

. In

Lakd

ta S

ioux

trad

itidn

,

wom

en a

re a

dmire

d as

the

brin

gers

of p

eace

and

har

mon

y.

7,

-B

ES

T C

OP

YA

VA

ILA

13.k

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EA

Q.,

mut

tuth

k

1. 4bO

blr

...)

-4'

,-

TH

E S

NE

AK

UP

DA

NC

E r

eena

cts

aba

ttle.

The

dan

cers

dep

ict w

arrio

rs s

talk

ing

thei

r

enem

ies.

.

TH

E E

AG

LE D

AN

CE

is a

pra

yer

iO th

e G

reat

Spi

rit.T

he,,,

,da

ncer

ask

s fo

r a

bles

sing

on

the

peop

le a

s.he

imita

tes

the

soar

ing

of th

e ea

gle,

a s

yMbo

l of t

he G

reat

SitT

he w

his-

tle im

itate

s th

e ea

gle'

s cr

y.

TH

E R

OU

ND

DA

NC

E is

one

of t

he m

ost s

igni

fican

t dan

ces

in w

hich

men

and

wom

en d

ance

toge

ther

. It i

s re

late

d to

the

hoop

of t

he n

atio

n an

d th

e sa

cred

cird

e.T

he R

ound

Dan

ce is

a fr

iend

ship

dan

ce fo

r al

l peo

ple

to jo

in in

to c

ompl

ete

the

sacr

ed c

ircle

of l

ife a

nd to

hel

p ke

ep a

ll th

ings

on

eart

h in

bal

ance

.

84si

birn

iA

THE LAKOTA SIOUXINDIAN DANCETHEATREThe Lakota Sioux Indian Dan( Theatre,

produced by The Solaris Lako Project, tours with

approximately 12 to 15 Amer can Indians who

perform dances, songs. andceremonies that have been partof their culture for centuries.The Dance Theatre shares its work by traveling

throughout the world. The member's of the com-

pany areeager for everyone to see thele-f419

beauty of their culture.

The Lakota Sioux indian Dance Theatre

was founded on the Rosebud Reservation

in South Dakota in 1978. Henry Smith, the

artistic director, worked closely with Sioux

leaders, who helped him decide what dances

to perform and how to present them for both

Indian and nontribal audiences. Mr. Smith is

not an American Indian, but he has been so

devoted to learning about and sharing the

cultuie through the dance of the Lakbta Sioux

that he has been adopted by some tribal famihes.

He became interested in Lakota Sioux dance

traditions when he was teaching dance in a school

on a South Dakota reServation.

The r, arrator is a respectedelder and storyteller: Sometimes the

narration is provided by Albert White Hat, who

helped make the film "Dances With.Wolves."

Sometimes it is provided by Lance White Magpie,

a descendant of Chief Crazy Horse, or by Marian

One Star, a consultant on tribal customs,

The musicians in the company are Gabe

DesRosiers, the lead singer of Northern Wind, a

group that performs at many powwows, and Brian

Akipo, a traditional flute player. Lead dancers are

Marian One Star, Jessie Spotted Tail, Grace Her

Many Horses, Leon Thompson, Lance White

Magpie, and Lillian and Ron Good Eagle.

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:2 ,

I

Above: Grass Dance.Right: Men'sTraditional Dance.

t-Narrator

fo

4 Pk.

gailiA

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LOOKING ANDLISTENINGAttending a perforrnance by the Lakota Sioux

Indian Dance Theatre will be interesting and

enjoyable for everyone if you

REMEMBER....the dances allow us to experience some-

thing about the Lakota Sioux way of life.

the dances are about such things as the

sacred hoop, thebuffalo, and the eagle.

that the Lakota Siotix believe that dance is an

important part of the sacred circle of life.

dance must be watched closely in order to

see the patterns of movement.

WATCH...hoW the dancers use the' space of the stage:.

one place or many; cloSe together or far

apart.

how the dancers' movements are usually

closeto the ground.

+ how the dancers start and stop exaL.,., on

the beat..

44. hOW the.dancers show energy: fast, slow;

calm, ekiting. . -

for objects Such as eagle 'feather fans and.

. horse dance siicks. :

LISTEN...44 how the drum

beats fit the .danceS.

for.the one

special time in each

dance when fOur beats

are sounded loudly and

thedancers turn four

times. (The four beats

represent the four

directions of the compass,

which are part of the sa'cred

circle of life.)

for rhythms.

for singing.

4.

Round Dance

A DANCE

that expresses

something you are

grateful fon Choose

-music that goes well

with your dance.

.Practice the dance. .

Perform it for class-

mates, friends, or your

faTily. Explain to

them what you are

grateful for and why.

IWAGINE that you

Ulare a dance critic tor,

a newspaper or

magazine. Write.a

200-word review ofi.

the Lakota Sioux

Indian Dance Theatre..

Tell what dances were.

performe.d and what

they mean. Offer your

opinion about how

well they were

*performed and how

they made you feel.

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THE FOUR MOST

IMPORTANT

HUMANQUALITIES -Coy

Ft Ae LakoinA

Slow< were

Yeatvevy

owid

Pov+iilAde,

,gevIerosih,

avid

wisci

ese

FAMILY, COMMUNITY,AND NATURE'S CYCLEFAMILY STRUCTUREMembers of the traditional Lakota Sioux tribe lived in close-knit families.

The work of both men and women was necessary to the survival of the

family. However, they had different responstilities.

Men fought and hunted. They.were responsible

for the ceremonies and-rituals. They also

prepared young men fOr their viion quests.

Women raised the children and taught

them the Four Great Virtues.of Life.Women

also grew crops, made tepees and

clothing, and cared for the sick.

.Flimilies passed ontribal beliefs andskills for survival.

In this way, Lakota Sioux made

sure that the circle of life would

we're cadlle

it.te GY-eatt-

fbilkow atelViri-tAes oP

Eack viyi-u;e is gralitiiktmevAbeys si-rive64

.Por wort-hivess

ealCh

cohvteci-ed 1-6

oflAers. A1 -PcitvAily

I II

Lir4f,gooto

continue.

Lakota Doll, 1880.Denver Art Museum

VIOHAT ARE FOURT

41 IMPORTANTVIRTUES you want to .

develop? Draw a

shield divi ed into

fou ions. Write

one quality in each

sectiort. Then drama

'picture for each

,quality that explains.

what the quality

means to you.

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commtnarvThe Lakota Sioux community was made up of groups of many

families. Each group was an extended familyof fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, cousins, uncles,

and aunts. Men and.women had different jobs, but they worked

together for everyone's benefit."

-

NATURE'SCYCLE

TO Na II`de

Americans. theseasons were

. part of thegreat circle of

life. Ihe Sioux did not

tell time by the sun, as we

do, but by the moon.lha

.iamed the changing moons to

describe seasonal

SPRING began in our month of April and was

known as 'Moon of the Lim of Euffajo Ca'Ne)." I:1 the spring, families left

their winter camps and began gathering food and hunting. though they

allowed the buffalo to fatten until fail.

SUMMER began in our month of June, which was known 35"Moon

When Strawberries Are Ripe." At the beginning of summer, men went on

vision quests to seek personal guardian spirits. Also in the summer, ail the

Sioux tribes met and arrang-ed their tepees in circles. For four days they

purified themselves. For the next four days they celebrated the sacred Sun

Dance ceremony.

FALL began in our month of August, which was known as "-I he

Harvest Moon." It was the most important hunting season of the year. The

men killed enough buffalo for the meat to last through the long, froen

winter. The women made pemmican from the meat.

WINTER began in our month of November, which was

known as "The Winter l'.'oon." As the snow began to fail,

families ,.ettied int() '.',Inter campsites. Men and boys repaired

tools whiie women and girls sewed, decorated clothing, and

made dolls. At night, stories were told around the tepee

;ire. Soon it h-2 spring, dad the circle of seasons

would begia again.

PEMMICAN ts

FveseYve. keev

kcis

beev,

otvxd mixed, wii-k

(Po+) niAd,

doried, ckcke

ckeysries. !+- is

scwtet.k.keii- i-c

imeckey%%-.:koey

TEPEE: t-ke etwellivo

1-ke

wcye

plence,A i Ok

-VAC! wcyd,

;:vcm

c..ictAx t.,,oycks "i-i,"

meotliv,oi lwel6o,"civd, "0," meatt,ito

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Id AKE A WAll.k-

g\fiCALENPAR'using the Lakota.-

Siouxnames of thea,,--,,

moons of the year.;-

_IllustrateLwhat_the___

_names mean. Mark

your birthday'and the.,

birthdays of your .

family and friends.

.'"E. ,tcoa rnctrier.icrcnidrn

nfl

T-orn

s!.

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iti1111.li

ME BUFFALO:* .

A VALUED REMillions of buffalo roamed free.on the.Great- Plains before the white settlers

moved west.The-lives of the Lakota Sioux revolvedaround the hunt df the

buffalo. They honored the animal's spirit and used all of its parts for their

survival:

Between one and two hundred uses werefound foe the buffalo's body parts. The Sioux made

tepees, blankets, clothes, ropes, shoes, and dr.urnheads from buffalo skins.

They made containersisuch.as cups and disiies, and gun-powder horns.

Bones were used for needles. Because the Sioux did not make pottery, they

sed dried bUffalo stomachs to store water and as containers in which to

cook. Before the Sioux had horses, they disguised themselves in buffalo

skins that.still hadthe freadS attached when they

hunted the buffalaWomen kept count of the.

buffalo hides they prepared by carving si-nall dots. .

on the handlesOf the scrapers witn which they. .

did their work.

Sortie say there were as many as 12 million

buffalo when settlers and gold prospectors arrived

on the Great Plains.They destroyed the grass the

buffalo ate.They turned many parts of the Great Plains into grazing and

farm land..Worst of all, they killed millionsof buffalo for sport. By.1889, only 540 were still alive. Today, 15,000 buffalo live

in protected ar'eas. Some others live in national parks. Several thousand are

raised on private ranches and are sold for food.

111 111

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.

Brown, Dee. WoundedKnee, An Indian Historyof the American West.Adapted for YoungReaders by Amy Ehrlichfrom Dee Brown's BuryMy Heart at WoundedKnee. New York: HenryHolt & Co., 1974.

Campbell, Maria. Peopleofthe Buffalo: How thePlains Indians Lived.Buffalo, New York: Fire-fly Books, Ltd., 1992.

Erdoes, Richard. NativeAmericans: The Sioux.New York: Sterling Pub-lishing Company, 1982.

Hassrick, Royal B. TheSioux: Life and Customs

of a Warrior Society..Norman, Oklahoma:University of OklahomaPresi, 1967.

Josephy, Jr., Alvin M. 500Nations, An IllustratedHistory af North Ameri-.can Indians. New York:Alfred A. Knopf, 1994.

MacDonald, Fiona.Plains Indians.Haup-pauge, New York:

^t.

Barron's EducationalSeries, Inc., 1993.

Taylor, Colin. The Plair...

Indian. New York:Crescent Books, 1994.

Weatherford, Jack.Indian Givers. New Yort-:Ballantine Books, 1988.

Wolfson, Evelyn. TheTeton Sioux: People ofthe Plains. Brookfield,Connecticut:The Mill-brook Press, 1992.

YOU MAY' WANTTO SEE...

Last Stand at Little BigHorn. "PBS:The Ameri-can Experience" (60minutes), WGBH Educa-

tional Foundation(Boston) and Thirteen/WNET, 1992.

Live and Remember (Wo

Kiksuye), 1987; Fulfillingthe Vision (Oyate Igluki-nipi), 1992; Conie to the

Center and Dance (Coka-

ta Upo), 1994; (30 min-

utes each), availablefrom Solaris LakotaProject, 264 West 19thStreet, New York, NY,

10011.

NM INNON OWN

The Kennedy CenterJames D. Wolfensohn, Chairman

LaMence J. Wiiker, President 'Derek E. Gordon, Associate Managing Director, Edlieation

LAKOTA SioUx INDIAN DAlkICE THEATRE .

CUEExecutive Editors: Lynne Silverstein and John C..4

Carr. Contributing Writers: John C. CarG Sherill

1

SHEET Berryman-Miller, and Cynthia Word, Design: Paul

'1 Dupree Communications. Special Thanks to: Henry Smit;i,

artistic director. Lakota Sioux Indian Dane Theatre; Marian One

Star. Lakota Sioux cultural consultant and Lakota Sioux Indian

Dance -Theatre member; Dr. Archie Beauvais, Dean of Education

and lribai Stcies. Suite Gleska University, Rosebud Reservation,

South Dakota; and Janet Starke.

Cuesheet is funded in part through tbe support of the U.S.

Department of Education,lhe Kennedy (nter Corporate fund, and

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz -Foundation. K)1995 The John F.

Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

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