Lakota mythology Lakota mythology is the body of sacred stories that belong to the Lakota people, also known as the Teton Sioux. Overview The Lakota believe that everything has a spirit; including trees, rocks, rivers, and almost every natural being. This ther ...

, čanotila ("they live in a tree") are a race of forest-dwelling creatures, similar to

fairies A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...

. The čanotila are forest spirits of Sioux folklore, usually appearing as sprites or dwarves. "Čanoti" literally means "tree dweller," and "čanotila" means "little tree dweller." They were considered messengers from the spirit world and often appeared to Sioux people in dreams.

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Lakota legendary creatures Lakota culture Lakota words and phrases Forest spirits {{NorthAm-myth-stub