The Plains IndiansI. Western Plains Indians

1. Lived throughout the Dakotas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Montana & Texas

2. The major tribes included the Cheyenne, Sioux, Shoshone, Comanche, Arapaho and others

3. These tribes lived a nomadic lifestyle survived by: hunting buffalo gathering other foods

Culture of the Plains Indians

Introduction:

Plains Indians represent the stereo-typical image of the American Indian

War-painted warriors on horse back, living in conical tepees and dressing in buffalo robes and eagle-feather bonnets.

I. ReligionA. Believed in the “Great Spirit” or Waken Tanka in Sioux

1. The Great Spirit was the creator and controller of the world

2. Smoked a ceremonial pipe to communicate with the Great Spirit

B. Animism – belief that all things- human, animal , plant or mineral- have a spirit and are connected to the Great Spirit.

C. Spiritual / religious leaders were known as a medicine man or shaman.

D. Rituals- included things the Buffalo Dance, the Ghost Dance, and the belief in the “Thunderbird”

Culture of the

Plains Indians

II. Government – social structureA. Nations – large groups of Native Americans

like Sioux, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and many others.

B. Tribes- each Nation was divide into sub groups or smaller tribes (Oglala Sioux, Teton Sioux, Sisseton Sioux and so on)

C. Bands – each tribe was divided in to bands of a few hundred people who lived and travelled together.

1. The Chief- Each band had its own Chief

2. Democracy – important decisions were made at council meetings

i. Each man was entitled to speak in council meetings

ii. The chief made the final decission after discussion in the council.

Buffalo Hunt

Culture of the

Plains IndiansIII. The Buffalo: Food , Clothing, Tools and Housing

A. Food1. Plains Indians

main source of food was Buffalo

2. Women gathered things like roots, berries, prairie turn-ups and other naturally occurring crops

Buffalo video clip link

B. Housing1. Because Plains Indians were nomadic hunters and gathers they

needed mobile housinga. The Tepee – was a cone-shaped tent made of buffalo hides and long wooden polesb. Entire families lived in the single room dwelling c. Food could be prepared on a fire in the center of the tepee

C. Clothing1. Clothing was made of hides from animals like buffalo,

deer, elk, and rabbits 1. Men - wore breechcloths, leggings , shirts mad of

hide or vests made of bone, and moccasins made of buffalo hide or sometimes rabbit skins

2. Women – wore skirts or dresses made of buckskin, leggings, and moccasins made of buffalo hide or sometimes rabbit skins

3. Clothes were sewn together with the sinew from buffalo spine

4. Clothing was decorated with paint, elk teeth, beads, and sometimes eagle feathers.

Plains Indians Roles of Men &

WomenIV. Roles of Men &Women

A. Division of labor between the sexes was typically cooperative 1. The sexes engaged in the work they believed

they were most capable of doing

B. Men’s Role-

1. Hunter-warrior

2. Prove worth to marry through bravery and

wealth

3. The fundamental virtues taught that were

bravery, fortitude, generosity, and wisdom

4. Men practiced polygamy (had many wives)

C. Women’s Role-1. Tanning hides, carrying

wood, preparing & gathering food, rearing children

2. After marriage the man joined the woman’s

family

i. The tepee was the property of the woman

3. Unfaithfulness was not acceptable for women.

4. Children were highly valued in Native American culture

Education of the PlainsIndiansV. Education

A. There was no form of schooling as in schools, books and teacher.

B. There was no formal classes like reading, math, science, and social studies.

C. Kids learned from parents, aunts, uncles and other members of the tribe. 1) Kids often learned from observation and hands on

practice2) Education was very practical and meaningful to life and

survival. There was not a lot of busy work for the sake of being busy.

Assimilation

• The goal of assimilation is to “Kill the Indian but save the man.”– Take away the “savage way” of the culture and give

native Americans a more civilized way of living. • What parts of the culture of the Plains Indians

are not civilized?

• What will need to be subtracted in the process of Assimilation?

Destruction of the Buffalo• The U.S. Army and white hunters wipeout hundreds of

thousands of buffalo on the Plains.

Hunter took the skull and the hide and leave the rest to rot.

Hunters hunted from train cars.

• How might this have been a part of the Assimilation process

The Dawes Act• Created and Written by Henry Dawes • Intended to “civilize” Native Americans by

giving individuals and the heads of families a piece of land.– Reservation land would be surveyed and broken

up and given to individuals rather than the tribe or the band.

– The land would be used for farming or grazing livestock.

• A way to force Native American assimilation.