Housing:

The men would go hunting. The men would take the animal skins to the women, and the women would sew it together. They would get three poles and stick them into the ground. They would put the hide over the poles and tie them. Then they would decorate the tepee. The last touches weren't so important.

 

 

Family Life:

The Sioux had customs that taught them how they should behave. Not all men were warriors. Each man had a special job in the tribe. One man could be a hunter, another one could be a camp comedian and he told funny stories, another could be a recorder of history by painting on buffalo hides. The women took care of the camp. They would cook the food, find wood, collect vegetables, and make the clothes.

The men usually had one wife, but sometimes they had more than one wife. If a man had more than one wife, they got to share the chores. When the Sioux tribe was in marrying season, the men would ask about five women to marry them. Two or three would say yes. When they married, they made a new home. The men would find a buffalo and kill it. They would take the hide to the women, and the women would sew the tepee.

The children were important because they were the future. The Indian children weren't given names when they were born. They were given nicknames. Some won their names by doing a brave act. The adults never hit the children. Punishment would be to embarrass them in front of the tribe, be scolded or be given stern looks.