Plains Indians

Shelter: What type of shelter did Plains Indians have? 1. The Plains Indians had teepees. 2. The Plains Indians had earth lodges. Why did they have two different types of homes? 1. Teepees are for hunting. They are lightweight and easily moved. 2. Earth lodges are permanent houses, usually near water and farmland.

No! Not that kind of Teepee!!

That’s more like it!

PLAINS INDIAN EARTH LODGE

Fashion: What type of clothing did the Plains Indians wear? They wore robes of buffalo hide. Used porcupine quills for beading their buffalo skin clothes. They weaved grass and grain into clothing as well. They also wore feather headresses. How does their clothing reflect their environment and lifestyle? Buffalo were animals that the Plains Indians hunted. They had robes to stay warm in the cold winter months.

Communication: How many different languages did the Plains Indians speak? 6 What were the languages that the Plains Indians spoke? Souian, Caddan, Algonkian, Athabaskan, Kiowa-Tanoan, Uto-Aztecan

Communication Did Plains Indians have any other forms of communication? The Plains Indians also had sign language. They also used pictographs to describe their life stories. They also used smoke signals to communicate at long distances. If so, what was the benefit of these other languages? Sign Language allowed the Plains Indians to communicate with other tribes that didn’t speak the same language.

Communication Did the Plains Indians have a written language? If yes, what was it? If no, how did they keep records, or write history? No. The Plains Indians would paint pictures on a buffalo hide for each year that passed. These were called “winter counts” because people would count their age by how many winters had passed.

Survival: Were Plains Indians hunters/gatherers, farmers, or both? Both! What foods did the Plains Indians most rely on to survive? The Plains Indians hunted Buffalo. They also grew corn, squash, and beans.

That is one tough way to make a burger!

Government: How did society function for the Plains Indians? Who made decisions? A council of elders made decisions for the tribe. They meet until a unanimous decision (a decision everyone agrees upon) is reached. Young men (warriors) made decisions about war and combat for the tribe. Clan mothers held power by choosing the leaders of the council.

Ceremony: What ceremonies/rituals did the Plains Indians largely participate in? Describe them. The Plains Indians believed that everything had a spirit. The most powerful of these spirits were those of the sun, moon, and stars, of thunder and lightning, and of the birds and animals. Ceremonies were held to pray to these spirits. The biggest ceremony was the Sun Dance. It took place every summer and gave thanks for everything that had occurred in the past year. It lasted 4 days straight.

Art: What type of art are the Plains Indians most known for? They are known most for painting, beadwork, and porcupine quill embroidery.

OUCH! Watch your fingers!

Recreation: What did the Plains Indians do for fun? For fun, the Plains Indians played games like hoops and balls, shinny (field hockey), and lacrosse. They also held archery competitions, went tobogganing(the rails were buffalo ribs), and told stories.

Shin guards are for sissies!!