The American West

• The American West is the two thirds of the USA west of the Mississippi River
• A large part of this area was a huge natural grassland called the Great Plains.
• The Great Plains have very hot summers and very cold winters. They are very dry with few rivers or streams.
• Plains Indians survived by hunting buffalo, which they followed as they migrated through the summer and autumn. Plains Indians Had:

  • Amazing horse-riding and archery skills
  • A nomadic lifestyle
  • A deep respect for animals
• What does 'Nomadic' mean?

  communities who move from place to place as a way of obtaining food, finding pasture for livestock, or otherwise making a living
• Plains Indians lived in tipis (which could be packed for travel) and used travois (a harness attached to a horse) to carry belongings around. In the winter they built timber lodges for shelter.

  
• Horses were very important, as they were needed for hunting, fighting and travelling. The Indians often raided rival tribes or white settlers to steal horses.

  
• The Plains Indians didn’t waste any part of the buffalo. They ate the meat; the hide was used for clothes and tipi covers; the fat was used for soap; the dung was used for fuel.