Mdc-wakantonwan, lake village' (Mde wakanton) ; Waypekute, 'leaf shooters:' Wagpe tonwun, 'leaf village' (Wahpeton) ; Sisitonwan, 'swamp village' (Sisseton) ; lhanktonwan, 'end village' (Yankton): lhanktonwanna, 'upper end village' ( Yanktonais ) ; Titonwan, vil lage' (Teton). The first four are known col lectively as Isanati or Santee. The Yankton and Yanktonais resided in that part of Dakota east of the Missouri. The Teton, constituting two thirds of the whole nation, lived west of the Missouri upon the buffalo plains. The Teton are further subdivided into Oqalala (at Pine Ridge), Bride (at Rosebud and Lower Bride agencies), 1Iunkpapa (at Standing Rock Agency), Two Kettle, Sans Arc, Miniconjou, etc. There are three principal dialects, Teton, Yank ton, and Santee, distinguished chiefly by differ ences in the use of 1, n, and d, as exemplified in the various forms of the tribal name. ( See above.) The languages have been much cultivated, an alphabet having been adapted to it by the mis sionaries, so that it now has a considerable lit erature, including two small newspapers, while nearly all the men can read and write it. It is vocalic, euphonious, but strongly nasal.
The sedentary and agricultural eastern (San tee) Sioux were commonly rated as inferior to their western brethren, who were typical nomad warriors and hunters, the lords of the plains, be fore whom no other tribe could stand. Their
great number and conscious strength bred a brave and haughty manliness which *till remains with them. They lived almost exclu4ively by the buffalo, following with their skin tipis wher ever the herds migrated. Beyond what the buf falo gave them of food, clothing, and shelter they had only their horses, dogs, and weapons, nor cared for more. Their greatest ceremony was the annual sun dance (q.v.), held under the direction of the warrior societies, and usually accompanied by voluntary self-torture. The eastern Sioux have been civilized and Christian ized for a generation. The western bands are only now beginning to accept the white man's road, but their high character and intelligence bid fair to bring them rapidly to the front. As usual, however, the yearly census shows a de crease, largely from tuberculosis. The whole number of the Sioux is now somewhat over 24.000, distributed as follows: Canada (refugees from United States), 600; Minnesota, 930; Mon tana (Fort Peck Agency), 1180; Nebraska (San tee Agency), 1310; North Dakota (Devil's Lake and Standing Rock agencies), 4630; South Dakota (Cheyenne River. Crow Creek, Lower Rosebud. and Pine Ridge agencies), 15.480. See Colored Plate of AMERICAN DIANS, under INDIANS.