Full Description
The Canadian Sioux are descendants of Santees, Yanktonais, and Tetons from the United States who sought refuge in Canada during the 1860s and 1870s. Living today on eight reserves in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, they are the least studied of all the Sioux groups. This book, originally published in 1984, helps fill that gap in the literature and remains relevant even in the twenty-first century.
Based on Howard's fieldwork in the 1970s and supplemented by written sources, The Canadian Sioux, Second Edition descriptively reconstructs their traditional culture, many aspects of which are still practiced or remembered by Canadian Sioux although long forgotten by their relatives in the United States. Rich in detail, it presents an abundance of information on topics such as tribal divisions, documented history and traditional history, warfare, economy, social life, philosophy and religion, and ceremonialism. Nearly half the book is devoted to Canadian Sioux religion and describes such ceremonies as the Vision Quest, the Medicine Feast, the Medicine Dance, the Sun Dance, warrior society dances, and the Ghost Dance.
This second edition includes previously unpublished images, many of them photographed by Howard, and some of his original drawings.
Contents
List of IllustrationsForewordForeword to the Bison Books EditionPreface1. Traditional Sioux Culture2. Tribal DivisionsTraditional Band NamesThe Canadian Reserves3. The Sioux in Canada4. Traditional History5. Warfare6. EconomyWild Plant FoodsHuntingFishingAnimal HusbandryHorticulture and Food ProductionHousing and SettlementTechnology and CraftsBeadwork and QuillworkClothing7. Social LifeChildrenCourtship and MarriageKin GroupsKinship SystemVisitingAthletic SportsGambling GamesSocial Dances8. Philosophy and ReligionSupernatural BeingsFolktalesMagicDoctoringDeath and Burial9. Ceremonialism, the Woodlands HeritageVision QuestPrayer Feast and Medicine FeastAdoption FeastMedicine DanceAnimal Dreamers10. Ceremonialism, the Plains HeritageSun DanceHorse DanceWarrior Society DancesGrass DanceThachÓ, Warbonnet, and Buffalo DancesHeyÓkha DanceGhost DancePeyote Religion11. The Canadian Sioux TodayAppendix: List of InformantsBibliographyIndex
