Native Americans of the Great Plains

By: Kayleigh Barnes, Ruby Harris, Gina Norman

Tribes

•Mandans•Crows

•Blackfeet•Lakoias

•Cheyeenes•Arapahos

•Osages

Clothing

The Native Americans from the Great Plains usually wore buffalo hides in the winter. The woman always made the clothes. Some

tribes also used bison skin as clothing in the winter.

Environment

The Great Plains cover a large part of the United States. In the areas near the Rocky Mountains are dryer because they are in the rain shadow of the mountains, these areas are short grass praries. Farther east it is more humid, and there is also more rain. This means that are tall grass praries. The Great Plains have a

wide variety of weather conditions. It can get very cold in the winter, and blistering hot in the summer. They have everything from blizzards, tornadoes, droughts,

and floods.

AdaptionsThe Great Plains tribes had to make many adaptions to live because they were hunters so they had to be able to move there homes to follow the animals. The tribes usually settled near rivers or streams so that they

had a water supply.

Beliefs and ReligionsThe Plains indians did not follow one

single religion. Some tribes believed in animist, and it was an important part of there culture. It was believed that

underwater spirits controlled all animals and spirits. “Upperworld” was

ruled by the thunderbirds, who were the most powerful spirits. Spirits could control the Plains Indians health. The

spirits were greatly honored and respected. The indians used the sun

dance to ask the son to give them strength.

Housing

The Plains Indians lived in tepees because they were hunters. This way they could take down the tepee any

time they needed to move to another area to find food. Buffalo hides were

cleaned and used as the outside of the tepee. The woman could take apart and put together the tepees in about

an hour.

Food

The Plains Indians were huters, and in more fertile areas were farmers. They mostly hunted buffalo, but sometimes they also hunted elk, and antalope.

They killed the animals using bows and arrows, traps, and by surronding the herd. The Indians used every part of

the animal. Any meat that wasn't eaten, was dried and kept for winter.

Transportation

The only means of transportation for the Indians was walking until the

Europeans came and showed them how to use horses.

Resources

www.mce.k12tn.net/indians/reports/plains.htm

The American Nation textbookThe First Americans textbook

www.inkido.indian.eduwww.wikipedia.com