Background
The Yanktonai and Dakota live in North Dakota, the Lakota live in South Dakota. The Upper Yanktonai people used a language called Ihanktonwana which translates "Little End Village" and Lower Yanktonai, called Hunkpatina in their language, "Campers at the Horn" or "End of the Camping Circle". Thunder Butte, a prominent landmark, is along the border between the Standing Rock Reservation and the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. The latter is occupied by the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation based upon Nomadic people who lived in teepees year round. Their culture was also based strongly upon horses and buffalo.
Sitting Bull was a highly respected Lakota war chief and medicine man who led the Lakota in years of resistance to the United States in the late 19th century. He commanded forces that defeated General George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. His grave is on the reservation. Sitting Bull College was named in his honor. His people, the Hunkpapa (Húŋkpapȟa), mainly reside on this reservation. Húŋkpapȟa means "Head of the Circle", due to the tradition of their setting their lodges at the entryway to the circle during Sioux council.
Originally with a territory of 4 million acres (16,000 km2) in 1864, the reservation was reduced in size after the Indian Wars of the 19th century, resulting in more land available for European-American settlers.
Read more about this topic: Standing Rock Indian Reservation
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