Dakota Life: A Seasonal Semi Nomadic Cycle In the Struggle for Food

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The semi nomadic Dakota tribe lifestyle was dependent upon a seasonal cycle as a result of the harsh and varying environment of the upper midwest. In the beginning the Dakota struggled because there was extremely little food available within the region. The dry Falls, the freezing Winters, the wet Springs, and scorching Summers of the upper Midwest forced the Dakota to adapt their way of gathering food to the specific season. The Dakota tribe was divided into seven tribal groups that were later grouped into three divisions. The Santee, meaning eastern, lived in Minnesota, the Wiciyela, meaning central, lived in South Dakota, and the Teton, meaning western, lived in Minnesota and part of Wisconsin. The Dakota communities began to work together to find food and help each other survive. The Dakota would move throughout different regions depending on the season in order to find the best place to gather food based on the strategy they had for collecting food in that season. Under this systematic cycle and as a result of Dakota communities forming close bonds from working together to survive, the Dakota began to flourish despite the harsh environment, in 1678 through 1680, before their first contact with Europeans.