  The Lakota of the Plains  DollsThe name Lakota means "allies"
or "friends." The Lakota, or Sioux, people are seven groups of
American Indian people who banded together as members of the
Seven Council Fires. They share a common culture and heritage,
but are separate social and political entities.  The open
rolling prairies and plains of North America were once part of
the vast homeland of the Lakota people. The wide expanse of
Lakota territory encompassed the region that today comprises the
states of Minnestota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and
Wyoming.  The history of the Lakota people is a study in
survival. Before being forced westward by European settlers and
warring Indian tribes, the Lakota used the natural resources of
their prairies to their full advantage, making villages along
the Missouri River, planting crops, and hunting in the abundant
forests. Following their displacement and with the advent of
horses acquired from Europeans, the formerly sedentary Lakota
adopted a nomadic lifestyle,