Who Are the Lakota?
The Lakota (Lakȟóta, meaning "allies" or "friends") are the western-most division of the Sioux people, numbering approximately 100,000 across six reservations in South Dakota and one in North Dakota. They speak Lakota, a Siouan language with approximately 6,000 fluent speakers—the largest number for any Siouan language. The Lakota are divided into seven bands (Očhéthi Šakówiŋ—Seven Council Fires): Oglala, Sicangu (Brulé), Hunkpapa, Miniconjou, Sihasapa (Blackfoot Sioux), Itazipco (Sans Arc), and Oohenunpa (Two Kettles). Famous for their resistance to American expansion, the Lakota defeated Custer at Little Bighorn (1876) and endured the Wounded Knee Massacre (1890).
Black Hills Claim
The Black Hills (Pahá Sápa) are sacred to the Lakota—the center of the world in their cosmology. The 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty guaranteed Lakota ownership of the Black Hills "as long as the grass shall grow." When gold was discovered (1874), the US seized the hills. The Lakota never accepted this theft. In 1980, the Supreme Court ruled the taking unconstitutional and awarded $105 million in compensation—which the Lakota refused, demanding land return instead. That award, now worth over $2 billion with interest, remains untouched. The Black Hills claim symbolizes unresolved treaty violations and Lakota determination to reclaim stolen land.
Wounded Knee
Wounded Knee represents two pivotal moments. The 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre saw US soldiers kill approximately 300 Lakota—mostly women and children—in the final military action of the Indian Wars. The Ghost Dance movement, a spiritual response to reservation desperation, had frightened settlers and officials. The massacre ended armed Lakota resistance. In 1973, Wounded Knee was occupied by AIM (American Indian Movement) activists protesting tribal government corruption and demanding treaty rights—a 71-day standoff that brought national attention to Native American issues. Both Wounded Knees mark Lakota resistance and suffering.
Contemporary Lakota
Modern Lakota face severe challenges. Pine Ridge Reservation has among the lowest life expectancy and highest poverty rates in the Western Hemisphere. Unemployment exceeds 80% on some reservations; housing, healthcare, and education are inadequate. Yet cultural revival flourishes—Lakota language programs produce new speakers; Sun Dance and other ceremonies continue openly. The Standing Rock Sioux's 2016-17 resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline galvanized indigenous and environmental movements worldwide. How the Lakota address crushing poverty while maintaining cultural vibrancy and pursuing the Black Hills claim shapes this iconic nation's ongoing struggle.
References
- Ostler, J. (2010). The Lakotas and the Black Hills: The Struggle for Sacred Ground
- Brown, D. (1970). Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
- DeMallie, R. J., ed. (2001). Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 13 (Plains)