What Tools Did Sioux Indians Use?
Like other Native American indigenous tribes, the Sioux Indians used tools primarily fashioned from animal bones and rocks, such as knives and arrowheads. They were nomadic and traveled with few material possessions. They utilized their hands and fingers to create pottery using pinch pot or coiling clay methods.
Sioux weapons were diverse, but custom-made bows and arrows were most common. Bows were made of green ash or hickory wood and were measured specifically for each archer. Arrows were also wood, and stone, and bone wrapped in sinew was used for arrowheads before the Sioux began trading for steel. Tomahawks and hammers were crafted from stone with attached wooden handles. For cooking, Native American women used a mortar and pestle to grind grains and herbs. Sioux women were charged with food preparation, creating their tools from whatever they could find around them in nature. They butchered buffalo carcasses brought back by Sioux hunters and preserved the meat by draping it over stripped willow branches to dry. The dried meat was pounded with a hide-covered stone, producing long-lasting jerky. Needles made from fish bones allowed the women to sew quilts, clothing, moccasins, and portable living shelters. They crafted deer skin carrying cases to transport important items like headdresses.