Great Plains Native Americans

1. Great Plains Native Americans Nisah Darby, Brianna Rigsbee, and Sarah Avery

2. Warfare • It was usually the only way of settling disputes between tribes. • Warfare gave Indians a chance to achieve high rankings in their tribes. • Warfare was the chief activity of the Plains Indians, next to buffalo hunting. • The increasing number of tribes fought with one another, and with the Europeans. • Among the Sioux and Cheyenne, scalping or killing an enemy earned a warrior much tribute. However, if you so happened to touch or get away from a live enemy you were considered to be very brave.

3. War Strategies • The Sioux Indians had many strategies of war. • A few of them were to ambush or surprise attack the enemy, or a quick withdrawal. • The Europeans thought highly of these strategies of the Indians, so they adopted them, and used them in battle as well.

4. Weapons • They had shields made of thick, dried buffalo hide. They were often decorated with symbolic designs. • They had sinew-backed bows. • The Plains Indians also had a sling club. • Most of their weapons were made of wood, or buffalo bones. • “Coup” stick was used in battles; the Plains Indians carried them and tried to touch an enemy. This process was called “Counting Coup”.

5. Great Plains Weapons Great Plains coup stick Shield Cover made around 1890

6. Customs • After battles, warriors would tell of their heroic deeds and celebrated their victory with a scalp dance. • Feathers were awarded for bravery to the warriors. The bravest chiefs earned the right to wear bonnets of eagle feathers. • In the Hidatsa tribe they celebrated success in battle by tying scalps of slain enemies on a pole, and would dance to the rhythm of rapid drumbeats. • In the Sioux tribe young men would demonstrate their courage by attaching strings to their chests, and tugged until they tore free. This was called the Sun Dance, and usually lasted several days.

7. Honor feathers awarded to warriors Bonnet of eagle feathers • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvqQmTSDXtY&feature=player_detailpage

8. Stories and Historical Events • Cheyenne creation myth: There is a god named Haemmawihio who created man from his right rib, and woman from his right rib. He placed woman in the north to control Hoimaha, who in turn controlled storms, snow, cold, illness ,and death. Haemmawihio placed man in the south to control heat, and thunder. It is said that twice a year they battle for control of earth which creates the seasons. • Sweet Medicine: A deity responsible for giving the Cheyenne four arrows, two bestowing them with power over men, two giving them power over the buffalo.

9. Historical Events • On November 1864 a Cheyenne encampment under Chief Black Kettle was flying the truce flag, indicating their allegiance to the authority of the national government, when they were attacked by the Colorado Militia. • The Spaniards brought the horse and gun to the region in the 1600s.

10. Famous Tribe Members • Sitting Bull was known as the medicine man. He was involved with the notorious incident at Wounded Knee where many Native Americans were massacred. (Sioux) • Cheyenne Dog Soldiers were the most famous of Cheyenne warrior societies. They were also known as the Cheyenne Dog (Warriors, or Men.) They got the name because of a legend about dogs who turned into fierce warriors. They were especially brave and honorable. When he was defending a Cheyenne village, a Dog Soldier would stake his long belt to the ground, to show that he would not run away but would defend his people to the death.

11. Dietary Habits • The Sioux Indians hunted buffalo, deer, and other animals. • They gathered fruit and vegetables. • Some of them also grew crops, including maize.

12. Great Plains Map They lived in the area from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. So basically they lived from Canada to Mexico.

13. Great Plains Art • They used buffalo hides for their artworks. • They would make clothing, houses, beds, shields, belts, moccasins, and folded envelopes used for storage called par fleches. • Stripes, diamonds, crosses, arrows, hour-glass shapes, thunderbirds, stars and hunting scenes were often painted or braided in geometric patterns.

14. Great Plains Dress • The women made their clothing from buffalo hide and deerskin. • If you were a boy you weren’t thought of until you wore breach clouts. • The men would pierce their ears. • The women’s hair had to be shorter than the men’s. • They both had to wear their hair in two braids.

15. Homes • The teepees that they lived in were made out of buffalo hides and was held up by wooden stakes. In the middle of the teepee was were a fire went to keep them and  For cooking. The door of the teepee was a round opening which faced toward the rising sun. They slept on buffalo robes on the floor. Women in the tribe were responsible for putting up and taking them down. • Some tribes did not move from place to place These Indians  stayed in lodges and they were dome-shaped covered with grass and dirt. • They were a migratory tribe based on the presence of buffalo; teepees were easy to take down and take with them.

17. What happened? • When the European arrived they brought new things to the Sioux tribe such as horses, firearms, and cloth. They also brought a new diseases that the Sioux tribe had immunity. The cultural difference caused distrust, leading to lots of clashes and battles. The Sioux had to relocate when gold was found on their land. They now live in the north central United States and central Canada.