 They occupied the Mississippi up into Alberta, Saskatchewan and Southern Manitoba.  The Plains Indians were nomadic, therefore moved around a lot.

 Their were about plains people.  The different tribes were: › Assiniboine › Siksika › Kainai › A’aninin › Pikuni › Nehiyauak › Tsuu T’ina

 Different tribes spoke different languages. They were:  Siouan  Algonqiuian  Caddoan  Kiowan  Shoshonean  Athapascan  Shahaptian

 Sign Language was also a way of communicating with each other. It was very important when speaking with other tribes because they did not speak the same language.

 The Plains Indians would eat mainly buffalo.

 They also ate: › Pronghorn, whitetail, mule deer, elk, sheep, mountain goat, beaver, smaller animals, roots, berries, fish.  The major problem was that it was difficult to preserve the meat. › They preserved buffalo by making pemmican.  The also ate dogs if they had to, and sometimes they were served for ceremonial purposes.

Roles of Men  Hunting was the number one role of men  How they hunted: › With spears, snares, bow and arrows › An annual communal hunt existed › Hunting was crucial to survival; food, shelter, clothing and tools. › They used the “head-smashed-in-buffalo-jump” in which they would chase a herd towards a cliff and they would fall over the edge.

Role of Women  They constructed and owned the teepees  Watched the children  Made crafts; moccasins and clothes  Cooked

 All tribes had a chief as the decision maker  Men and women were segregated by their duties  Shamans were men who tended to the ill and created medical remedies

 The Plains People were very religious; a prayer before eating, working and in the morning  They used dog sleds for their transportation  Nomadic (they moved around and followed their food)

Rituals  Sun Dance › Takes place during mid- summer at a pre-determined location › It is used for a request for supernatural aid or a response to a vision quest › It was over a course of 8 days, 4 days of rituals, followed by 4 days of dancing around a sacred pole › Symbolizes: capture, torture, captivity, escape and involved self-torture. › An opportunity to renew kinship ties, marriages and exchange property

Rituals  Vision Quest › A young boy goes out into the wilderness to reflect and await a vision from a spirit guide › He has to fast from food and water for 4- 5 days › The spirit guide usually presents itself in the form of a dangerous animal

 The Plains People lived in teepees that were easily constructed and mobile  The bottom of the teepee was egg shaped for maximum room  A smoke hole provided them to have fires within the teepee and improved ventilation  The teepee was made from dried animal hide