Lakota or "Lakhota" (as it is also commonly spelled) is the largest of the five major dialects of the Sioux language. The Lakota dialect represents one of the largest Native American language speech communities left in the United States, having approx. 8000-9000 speakers living mostly in northern plains states of North and South Dakota. Lakota is predominantly associated with the Teton Sioux bands living west of the Missouri River. The language was first put into written form by missionaries ca. 1840 and has since evolved to reflect contemporary needs and usage. Lakota is part of the Siouanlanguage family. As with any complex, emergent concept, language is somewhat resistant to definition. ... The Siouan languages are a Native American language family of North America. ... Most languages are known to belong to language families (families hereforth). ...
External link
Lakota Language Consortium (http://www.lakhota.org)
The Sioux regard the universe as ultimately incomprehensible; life, growth, and death are mysterious and suggestive of powers difficult to understand.
Of the seven sub-divisions of the Teton Sioux, the Oglala and Sicangu (Brule) were the first to arrive on the Plains, whilst horses, which transformed Plains life, were obtained by the Oglala about 1750, possibly from the Arikara people (Powers:1982 pp.5, 16-17, 26, 28).
From it the Sioux derived most of life's necessities; for example, from its hide they made clothing and tepees, ropes and snowshoes; the horns provided spoons, weapons, and ceremonial articles, whilst the sinew was used for bow strings, arrow points, and sewing materials (Salomon:1928 p.31).
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