"Story-telling is an ancient profession, and these stories are among our oldest possessions. For many years before the white man ever came to our homeland these legends were told over and over, and handed down from generation to generation. They were our books, our literature, and the memories of the storytellers were the leaves upon which they were written."
Ponca Chief Standing Bear, in Coyote Stories, by Mourning Dove, 1933
Ohuŋkaŋkaŋ: Storytelling
For thousands of years, the Dakota have kept their history alive through a process called oral tradition, the purposeful repeating of stories. The stories tell of events that happened, and are told to teach lessons and explain why things are the way they are.
Minnesota Historical Society staff members collected dozens of stories from Dakota people throughout Minnesota, the Midwest and Canada as well as from settler descendants in southwestern Minnesota during 2011 and 2012. Full transcripts and audio versions as well as selected quotes are available on this website. Hear these oral histories.