What did the Sioux Indians do when someone died?

Typically the body would be cleaned by female family members. Dressed in the persons finest clothes. All of the important possessions would be placed with the body on the burial scaffold. For women this would be their sewing tools, a favorite digging tool, a favorite knife. For a warrior it would be his weapons, bag of paint powders, The coup feathers earned in battle. The burial scaffold would be taken to scared ground and raised approx 7 ft off the ground. The body would be wrapped in a buffalo robe and the body tied to the platform.

When everybody went back to the village, there would be a burial feast. All of the belongings left over would be given away. Usually placed in a pile for anybody to claim as their own.

They ripped out the hearts and used the bodies as skin or clothing in a sense.

raised platform with body exposed but tied down....

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