Chapter IV

BOOKS, TRACTS AND TRANSLATIONS IN THE DACOTA.

But one member of this groupe had crossed the Mississippi, in their ancient migrations, and fixed themselves in the area east of it. This tribe was the Winnebagoes, who formerly maintained an independent position in central Wisconsin. They went into Iowa, a few years since, and have just completed their second removal into the country of the Chippewas, on the west banks of the Upper Mississippi. There is thus left no portion of this stock east of that stream, save, perhaps, a small band of the Sioux, who are yet located on its east bank, between the Falls of St. Anthony and the mouth of the St. Croix river. The great body of the Dacota groupe extend westward (north of Iowa) to and beyond the Missouri, stretching southwardly below the Rocky Mountains across the waters of the Platte. The Iowas, the Otoes, Omahaws, Osages, &c., are elder branches of this groupe, who appear as a body, inclined to fall back, in that direction.

The principal missionary efforts have been among the Sioux proper, in which there have been published, so far as known, thirteen separate translations; at the same time there have been five translations in the Iowa, and a single work, in each of the dialects of the Winnebago, Otoe, and Osage.