The Sioux believed that spirits were in the sun, the wind, the rain, the earth, the animals, and the plants.As the Sioux believed, the earth was the mother of all spirits. They worshiped the spirits.An important religious activity is the Sun Dance.The reason for doing this dance is to get gifts from the spirits such as bringing powerful visions upon the participants, renewing the people and the earth, giving thanks for protecting the people from illnesses and danger, or praying for increased fertility.The Sun Dance was one of the Sioux's main ceremonies. Getting ready for the Sun Dance began months before the summer.