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
