Culture+of+the+Dakotas

=Culture of the Dakotas=

**Food**
====The Dakota grew fields of corn, pumpkins, beans, melons, "Dakota turnip", and other vegetables which were either eaten raw, boiled, or roasted, dried, and stored for later use. Some groups of Dakota harvested wild rice. They also made syrup by tapping maple trees and collecting sap.==== ====The Dakota diet consisted of food gathered from the wild, what was grown, and fresh or dried meat. The Dakota hunted moose, deer, elk, muskrats, badgers, otters, raccoons, fish, pigeons, cranes, ducks, and geese according to their seasonal availability.====

All weapons were made individually for each hunter according to their height, stature, personal preference and personalized for identification during the hunt or battle.
====Buffalo meat could be prepared in various ways. Fresh meat was generally preferred. However, most buffalo meat was prepared for later use. Some was dried in the sun to make jerky. When traders arrived in Dakota Territory, the Dakota began to use salt to prepare their meat.====

**Shelter**
====The Dakota lived in tipis during the winter and in bark-covered summer cottages in the summer. Tipis were like sort of cottages, but it consisted of poles covered by hide or cloth. Sometimes as many as 16 to 18 buffalo hides were sewn together for use as a tipi covering. The number of hides used was dependent upon the diameter of the shelter. The covering was held together by wooden pins. Beneath these pins was a small opening used to enter and exit the tipi. A smoke hole in the top of the tipi allowed fires to be built inside. The smoke flap could be opened and closed to control temperature, keep out rain and snow, and provide a comfortable living environment to those dwelling inside.==== ====The Dakota's summer cottages were located at their usual summer camping place. Most of them were permanent huts. These structures were built of logs, poles and bark. They were big, so many people could live in the same hut. Some Dakota lived in earth lodges. These huge====

Buffalo hides were used to make clothing such as robes, tipi covers, moccasins, bags, and carrying cases.
====Dakota clothing was made of animal skins including buffalo, deer, and elk. The women would spend many hours decorating clothing with beads, bones, or other natural objects of beauty. Producing clothing with intricate designs requires an impressive amount of time and patience.====

**Celebration**
====It was a tradition that tribes gathered in the summer, and had group activities, such as political council meetings, religious ceremonies, sporting events, marriages, and coming-of-age ceremonies. So the summer was an exciting part of the year for the Native Americans, because it was an opportunity to see who that was members of the different tribes.====

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