American West- The Great Planes and the Plains Indians Flashcards
What was the climate like on the Great Plains?
Strong wind all year round
Winter has blizzards and freezing temperatures
Summer was very hot and dry thus the rivers dried up
What are the two natural borders of the Great Plains?
The Mississippi River- east
The Rocky Mountains- west
What animals lived on the Plains?
BUFFALO antelope coyote Deer Gophers Rabbits Eagles Hawks Tia All these animals were well adapted to live on the plains
Why did white colonists not want to live on the plains?
It would be very difficult as wood and water were very hard to come by. Similarly, fertile soil was not in quantity so agriculture-dependant civilisations could not survive
Also a little problem called the Indians
What did the white Americans call the Great Plains?
The great American dessert
What was the enabling factor for Indian tribes to move onto the Plains?
Horses.
Once the Spanish colonists brought horses to the Americas, the Indians didn’t have to rely on agriculture for life because they could then hunt buffalo
Name one push factor for Indians to move onto the Plains.
Diseases
The Europeans brought deadly an infectious diseases that could kill a whole nation so they moved away from them
OR
guns
Guns in the hands of their enemies was not good so they moved away from them
Name a pull factor for the Indians to move onto the plains
Space
They could have their own space and claim as much as they wanted
Who were tipis made by?
The females and they owned them too
What were tipis made of?
Buffalo hide
What made tipis suitable to live on the Great Plains
- the cone shape could withstand the winds of the plains
- flaps at the top could be moved to draw up smoke from the fire
- they could be taken down at a moments notice if they had to move to follow the buffalo
What are travois?
A kind of sledge that tipi poles and family possessions could be transported on when moving to follow the buffalo
What were cradleboards?
Cradles that small babies were put in that were beautifully decorated
What were wives called?
Squaws
What did the women provide?
Home, food and clothing
What were
a) all children taught?
b) boys taught?
A) to be tough
b) to ride and shoots bows and arrows
At what age did boys go on their first hunt?
14
When did Indians celebrate the signs if adulthood in their children?
Boys were celebrated when they had their first hunt
Girls when they had their first menstrual period
Why were children placed playing at the edges of the Indian villages?
To give warning of oncoming visitors as they were unofficial lookouts
How would a young male try and attract a wife?
Poetry and music
Girls were advised by who to reject their first proposal?
Their mothers and grandmothers
what did a young man have to give to the father of the one he wanted to marry and why?
Horses usually to prove that the man loved her and that her family held her in high regard rather than the girl being bought
Even though rings were exchanged, how long could an engagement last for?
5-6 years
Why did some men have more than one wife?
Because some men were lost in battle so there was an abundance of women which meant that to ensure no one was uncared for, some rich men had more than one wife
What were old people leaving to die when they became a burden called?
Exposure
What was the one great spirit called?
Wakan Tanka
What did they think caused illness and bad weather?
Spirits but they also thought they influenced everything around them
Why were circles important to the plains Indians?
They believed in the circle of life
They also were surrounded by them everyday- tipis
What was the Indian view on land?
No one could own it because they believed it was given to them by the great spirit
What did they use visions for?
To succeed in battle
To heal
when a boy came of age they went through a ceremony of starvation and self harming to get a vision which would then give them their adult name
What did medicine men do?
Contact the spirits and ask them for help
How were chiefs selected?
They had to have a reason
Not by inheritance
Not by election
For their wisdom, spiritual power, medicine or skills as a hunter
How long were chief in power for?
Might not remain a chief for life- only great chiefs could persuade warriors to follow them
What did the council do?
Responsible for important decisions by discussing what to do
They would listen to medicine men and elders for advice
In meetings they would keep talking until they all agreed and smoked a ceremonial pipe as they believed it informed the spiritual works and helped them make good decisions
What was the warrior society?
All men of a band bonged to a warrior society such as Kit Foxes of the Sioux
The society were responsible for supervising, hunting, travelling and protecting the village from attack
Before horses, what was the best way for Indians to hunt buffalo?
Driving them off a cliff
What did every warrior have that was their prize possession?
A horse
What was a coup?
When a young warrior went into battle unarmed and if they touched an enemy and survived then they could be respected in the tribe
What was scalping?
Taking the skin off the head of the enemy to keep and a trophy and to stop them from entering the after life to get revenge
Name some of the things that the plains Indians did with a buffalo
They used the:
- Fur- decoration on clothes, stuffing for saddles, mittens, rope
- Horns- arrow straighteners, cups, ladles, spoons, toys
- Raw Hide- bags, belts, containers, horse harnesses, masks, shields, travois
- Bones- arrow heads, dice, game counters, knives, needles, war clubs, tools
- Skull- religious ceremonies
- Brain- tanning the hides
- Tongue- hairbrush or eaten raw as a delicacy
- Bladder- food bags
- pleasure
