1. The Great Plains
Chapter 2
Lesson 2

2. Life on the Plains
Great Plains cultural region: dry, flat, grassland with very few trees
Lakota/Sioux
Pawnee
Osage
Cheyenne
Villages were built along rivers

3. The Lakota Sioux lived in lodges
Large, round huts built over deep holes
Wooden frame with walls of dirt
Farmed corn, beans, squash, and pumpkins
Life centered around the buffalo
Summer and fall: hunters would hunt
Travel with teepees
Wood pole frames wrapped in animal skin
Travois were used to carry the kill back to the village

4. The Cheyenne
In the 1500s, the Spanish brought the horse to the Americas and
Some ran away and became wild
In the 1700s, the Cheyenne tamed them
Made hunting buffalo easier
Made life mobile
Based their lives on moving to new places during the different seasons
Wealth was measured in horses; the more horses you had, the richer you were

5. The Cheyenne Today
Today there are about 12,000 Cheyenne living on the Great Plains
Present-day Montana
Many still follow traditions of their ancestors
Language
Ceremonies & dances
Games
Many can be seen at powwows or gatherings of Native Americans