Plains Indians Lifestyle and Beliefs
Survival on the Great Plains
Challenges of the climate
Dry
hot summers
cold winters
click to edit
Buffalo
food
clothing
equipment
heart- new life to herd
couldn't survive without it
Horses
easier and quicker to catch buffalo
used in war
carried Indians + belongings on journey to find buffalo
wealth + status depended on how many horses tribe owned
couldn't survive without them
Nomadic (moved a lot from place to place)
tipis
made of wooden poles
covered in buffalo hide
coned shape protected from strong winds
could be packed away easily and quickly
Shelter
winter
lived in wooden lodges with thick layers of soil
Organisation
Chiefs + Councils
Famous Cheifs
Warrior Brotherhoods
Role of Women
needed to marry
succsessful men could have 1+ wives so every women could reproduce
Responsible for feeding + clothing family
best warriors from each band formed warrior brotherhoods
supervised hunting + protected bands from attack
trained men in fighting skills
taught young men about tribes beliefs/ values
no decision made until whole council had agreed
rest of tribe/ band didn't have to obey decision
chiefs were guided by spirit through visions