Indigenous people of the plains

• lived in tribes, weren't single groups with one culture.

  examples: sioux, comanche and apache

  many tribes were nomadic (roaming from place to place aimlessly)

  hunted millions of buffalos

  others more settled and farmed the land
• tribal warfare was common

  aim was not to kill or seize land but perform acts of bravery like stealing horses and counting coup
• different bands in tribes:

  • tribes were split into bands- every band had a chief and council of elders, chiefs did not have entire control, would have gained loyalty over years through courage and generosity (influence over tribe)
• land

  • didn't see land as something can be bought or sold
  • believed it belonged to everyone
• medicine men & women

  • Spiritual leaders of tribe
  • closely linked to nature
  • believe in the great spirit created the world, everything in nature contain spirits and need to be kept by their side
  • ceremonies and dance rituals performed to contact spirit
• role of women

  • did most of the work in village or camp, whilst men hunted and fought
  • owned the tipis and its contents
  • gave them status
• Buffalos

  • vital to plains indians
  • used almost every part of the animals
  • meat for food, skin for clothing and tents and bones for weapons and tools
• lived on the great plains, huge area of grassland, dominates central north america