Ways of Government

The Dakota People had various ways of governing the members of their tribes. The chiefs and others that had power didn’t just hand out orders to people; they served by example to them. This is not to say though that they didn’t have established laws; if one member were to break these rules, they would be punished. Although their punishment wouldn’t necessarily be physical torture, they would be humiliated and disgraced before entire members of their tribe. The tribal laws to govern their people would usually be enforced by young men who proved themselves heroic in battle. They served as policemen so to speak. The government style of the Sioux people is something to be admired, especially with the idea that the leaders were to follow the same laws as the rest of their people.

Laws

The Dakota Indians had a unique way of constructing and enforcing their laws. These are some of the laws that were constructed by the Dakota people, "no man could hunt on his own or disturb other herds." Another was "young men of proven bravery acted as police men and they served as chiefs." The laws that the Dakota tribe would construct could not be laws unless all the members in that group agreed with it. These laws were made by the chiefs and tribal leaders. Those leaders were chosen from demonstrations of bravery, fortitude, generosity, and wisdom. Most of the leaders had been chosen by their war record. The constructing of laws and the way they were enforced were something that was a remarkable way the Dakota tribe became such a civilized group.

Social Structure

The social structure of the Dakotas split the tribe into many different bands of people. Each band had its own worries and roles as leaders. Although the tribe was split into these groups the majority of people who were not involved in a band still had responsibilities based on their age and gender. Even though the tribe worked as individuals in their bands they were capable of coming together as one tribe to overcome challenges and take advantage of many opportunities. Every band had its own name and was relied on by the entire population to do their jobs. The first bands of people were called the White-Horse Owners. Their role was to improve and keep the attitude or moral of the tribe at a positive level. The second and most important of the four bands were the Naca Ominicias or also known as the Big Bellies. These people were mostly in charge of the tribe’s policies on wars, moving of the camp, and hunting. They also had the important responsibility of choosing administrators, executives and the members of the other bands. The Shirt Wearers were another band that was made up of people the Naca Ominicias had chosen to be spokesman for their ideas and decisions. Along with being a spokesman the Shirt Wearers also were representatives at negotiations for their tribe. The Pipe Owners or Wakincuzas were the last group of people and were mainly in charge of the tribe movements along with this they were also leaders over the Akicitas. (Tribal Police) While each band within the tribe had different jobs each member of the group took great pride in their band and what they did.

Roles and Responsibilities

The men and women in the Dakota tribe each had their own roles and responsibilities. Most of the roles of the Dakota revolved around their family. The primary role of the men was to hunt and provide meat for their whole tribe, not just for their own families. They were also expected to defend their tribe in the event of war. The Dakota women were the Matriarchs and they ruled the family life and the tepee. They were also the gatherers and would cut up the meat and prepare the meals. The children were the main attention in the families and were called the “Wakanisha.” All of the Dakota people had their own roles and responsibilities tat contributed to the tribe.