Dakota Indian Tools

Most of the Dakota Indians' tools came from the body parts of buffalo. For example, the bones were used to make tools such as shovels, knives, arrowheads, war clubs, scrapers, sleds, paintbrushes, and fleshing tools. The horns were used for things like arrow points, spoons, ladles, fire carrier, and cups. The tendons were used for sowing and bow strings. They used buffalo hair as rope. They used the buffalo's stomach as a water container and cooking vessels. This shows the Dakota Indians were very conservative because they used all the body parts of the buffalo.

By: Louie Dolan

Manufactured Goods of the Dakota Indians

The Dakota Indians manufactured variety of goods for their own use and trade purposes including woodwork, skinwork, basketry, bonework, featherwork, shell work, and beadwork. The Dakota Indians were masters of woodworking for shaped objects such as houses, boats, sleds, snowshoes, bows and arrows, spears, digging sticks, pipes, bowls, utensils, and totem poles. The skins and furs the Indians obtained from hunting animals were used to make sturdy objects such as shields, pouches, boxes, and drums. They were also used to make clothing, sheaths, and blankets and were also used in the making of dwellings and boats. Textiles (clothing, blankets, and bags) were made from plant fibers like the inner bark of Cedar trees and wool from Buffalo and other animals. The weaving baskets was an offshoot of the making of textiles. These Indians used the bones, antlers, and horns of animals to make pointed tools like spears, arrows, fishhooks, weaving tools, and knives. Freshwater shells were used to create blades, scrapers, and spoons and in the making of jewelry. Beads, from shells and other hard objects, were a popular trading item and were sewn onto clothing and quivers. Feathers were regarded as a sacred item by the Dakota Indians and were used for ceremonial decorations. As we can see, the Dakota Indians made great use of natural resources and raw materials.

By: Meredith Duda

Dakota Indian Hunting Weapons

Lances and blowguns were powerful and common weapons used by the Dakota while Hunting. A hunting lance was different than a war lance. A hunting lance was thicker and longer and usually as fancy. A war lance was usually 6 1⁄2 - 7 1⁄2 ft. long and more decorated. Blowguns were very effective because they used objects such as darts, clay, or stone pellets. They were shot though a hollowed-out cane, reed, or shaft of wood. There is also other weapons such as a bow and arrow. There was many other effective was for hunting.

By Dan Cemensky

War Weaponry of the Dakota Indians

The Dakota Indians used multiple forms of combat during wars. Most commonly the battle ax, which was an ax-like weapon used mostly for close combat. They also used many other different types of weapons. Firearms, which were guns given to the Dakota/Sioux by English settlers. A spear, which was a long, stick with a sharpened point. A Lance, which was a long wooden handle with a sharp stone or metal head. A war club, which was basically a fully-wooden ax. Some of these weapons are still used today, and will be throughout history.

By Maegan Goers