Why were the Sioux a hunting and gathering society?

Answer 1

Sioux is not the name of a single tribe, but many related tribes. Only some of these were nomadic hunters.

The western division of the Sioux were called Teton or Lakota Sioux; they were the Oglala, Minneconjou, Brule, Two Kettle, No Bows, Hunkpapa and Blackfoot Sioux tribes. They lived on the Great Plains (which is the meaning of Teton) and could only survive by hunting large game animals such as antelope, deer and buffalo. They did not plant any crops, but often gathered wild plant foods.

The central Division were called Yankton or Nakota and they were made up of the Yankton and Yanktonai tribes.

The eastern division were the Santee or Dakota Sioux, made up of the Mdewakanton, Wahpekute, Wahpeton and Sisseton tribes. Their homes were bark-covered longhouses.

The Yankton division lived on the edge of the plains and hunted only occasionally, growing some crops; the Santee division were much more agricultural and more like the woodlands tribes.

All three divisions spoke dialects of the same language.