"Sioux"

This blog post is comprised of my notes on the headnote about the Sioux people and culture (and their trickster tales) as presented in the seventh edition of The Norton Anthology of American Literature Volume A.

Text Notes:

• The Sioux make up a large group of Native Americans who speak the Nakota, Dakota, and Lakota languages; The Sioux are comprised of seven different nations and their territory originally spanned from Minnesota to South Dakota.  They were originally a plains-dwelling people.
• Hunter cultures (like the Sioux) emphasize the transformer/culture-maker aspects of the trickster character and also focus on both his foolish and his dangerous aspects.
• Trickster is called Iktomi, and there is also a Coyote trickster mentioned in Sioux stories.
• Iktomi is presented as a danger to the welfare of people.
• He is one of the first beings that was created; he is the one who named animals, created language, and discovered color.
• Iktomi is often thought of and referred to as being 'spider-like;' however, he does not have the ability to take the shape of a spider.
• In Sioux tradition, Iktomi has an adversary called Iya who attempts to drive him to further evil (eating people).