They helped defeat the Americans in several key battles. Our ancestors were crucial allies of the British in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. The Dakota-Crown alliance was confirmed through the signing of a written treaty in 1787, which pledged peace, trade, and military alliance. We formed peace and trade agreements with the French in the mid 1600s and with the British Crown through ceremonies in the 1760s. When European newcomers entered our territory we made alliances with them as well. The rivers, along with our ancient trails system, provided a vast travel network for trade and commerce with our Indigenous allies. The river system also sustained us by providing food, medicines and water.
Our Dakota ancestors followed the tatanka - buffalo, which supplied food, shelter, clothing, and tools. Our traditional territory includes parts of what is currently southern Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, extending into Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, and northern Montana. We are stewards of our lands and our environment. This first label overlooks that our territories existed long before the establishment of the Canada-US border, while the second label overlooks that we had a well-defined and extensive territory that we shared with other Indigenous Nations.Īs Dakota, our relations include the land and all things in our territory.
The territories of the Dakota have long been misunderstood and misrepresented by non-Dakota people, who do not understand either the seasonal use of our territory or how our concept of kinship connects us to the land and our territory. Today, members of the Oceti Sakowin are located across Canada and the United States. Together, we formed a powerful kinship network that shared natural laws, spiritual beliefs, language, as well as vast trade and military ties. Our traditional government was called the Seven Council Fires or Oceti Sakowin-an alliance of seven Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota groups. Dakota translates to “friend” or “ally” and from time immemorial we have created alliances with many Indigenous and non-Indigenous Nations.
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