Drawing of Ponca-Sioux battle by To-Tay-go-nai (Standing Buffalo). Photograph by A. Zeno Shindler, 1858. From the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, © 1999-2001 Smithsonian Institution and their respective copyright holders.

The Lakota (or Sioux) is actually a broad group of people that includes the seven bands of the Western (or Teton) Lakota, the Dakota (Yankton and Yanktoni) and the Nakota (Santee). This group of tribes lived in the Plains for only a part of their known history. In their original northern woodland homeland, the Lakota were hard-pressed by the Anishnabe (who the who called Chippawa by the Lakota). The Anishnabe were armed with guns traded by trappers.

The Lakota gradually migrated south and westward and pushed aside the Omaha tribe in this early migration. At first, they were not mounted, but horses were spreading throughout the Plains from Spanish settlements in the Southwest, and by 1742 the Tetons had acquired ponies and their cultural pattern became more and more that of horse-riding nomads. In the Central Plains the Lakota came into conflict with the Pawnee, a village tribe that held the rich hunting lands of the Republican River Valley until the Lakota entered the region. The Pawnee war parties usually made their trips on foot, unlike other tribes. Because the Lakota were mounted on horses, they had an advantage.

The Omaha war parties varied from eight to a hundred warriors. All members of the party were volunteers. The leader was usually a well-known warrior who had demonstrated his skill in battle. The warriors are reported to have worn a white covering of soft, dressed skin for their heads. No shirt was worn, but a robe was belted about the waist and tied over the breast. No feathers or ornaments could be worn at this time. In actual battle, the warriors wore only moccasins and breechcloth.

Occasionally the wives of a few of the men accompanied a large war party to assist in the care of their garments, and to do the cooking. A sacred War Pack, kept in the Tent of War, was important in any war activities. The contents of the pack were believed to protect the tribe from harm. A returning war party with the scalp of an enemy held a special scalp or victory dance. Men who won special honors on the war path were permitted to wear an eagle feather in their scalp locks. A deer-tail headdress might also be worn by certain warriors. The large feathered headdress seen in the movies today was worn only on social occasions by noted men. Only the men wore feathers in their hair, but the women might wear them on their clothing.

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