Teton Sioux and Blackfeet

The Teton Sioux

The Teton Sioux, or the Lakotas controled a large amount of land near the Missouri River. The controled the orange section of the map. The Lakotas were often attaking their enemy's. Clark called them "a war crazed people."

The Lakotas, like most other Sioux tribes, lived in small teepees, or cone shaped tents. The Lakota village Lewis and Clark visited had eighty teepees, or "lodges."Clark described the village that he visited as "a classic nomadic village."The villages were not nomadic though. There are several nomadic sioux tribes, though.

Black Buffalo (above) was one of the three Teton chiefs that lived in the village that Lewis and Clark stayed at. Black Buffalo was probably the friendliest Lakota that Lewis and Clark met. Black Buffalo was probably the only reason there was not an armed conflict. When the Sioux refused to let the keelboat go and Clark was ready to kill one of the Sioux chiefs, Black Buffalo came and forced the warriors to let the boat go. His only condition was that Clark alowed the women and children of his village to see the keelboat. Clark quickly accepted these terms.

To the right is a Lakota war party. The Lakota were a people constantly at war. The Lakotas were a people who "will steal if they can."The Lakota were the milatary power in the region. Because they traded with Europeans so much, they had guns. The Lakota had a huge arsenal.

A Teton scalp dance (above) was an interesting ritual. Several weeks before the corps arrived, the Tetons had a battle with the Omahas. They killed 65 and captured 25. They took the heads if of some of the killed and mounted them on poles. Then they danced into the night. The corps watched the scull dances.

The women of the Sioux never did mutch in the meeting between the corps and the Tetons. However there was one instance when the women wanted to be with the captains, but they refused.

Blackfeet

The Blackfeet were a huge power in 1806. They had the most guns, the most horses, and the most traders to trade with. When Lewis told them about Jefferson, they felt threatened. The Blackfeet lived in northern Idaho. They Blackfeet were a confederation of thre tribes, the Blackfoot, the Blood, and the Piegens. The Piegens were the Blackfeet that Lewis and his small group of men encountered.

Lewis never encountered a Blackfeet village. If Lewis was not forced to flee after killing the two Blackfeet, he probably would have met the chiefs of the village in person. The Blackfeet lived in large teepees. Most blackfeet village are small.