Early settlement

Question 1

What were bands?

Answer 1

• most people in a band were related to each other
• bands had a chief and a council of advisors
• the surivival of the band was more important than individuals

Question 2

What were chiefs?

Answer 2

• chosen because of their skills as warriors/hunters
• decided where the band would go
• did not have to be obeyed

Question 3

What were tribes?

Answer 3

• bands in the same tribe supported each other during crises
• tribal meetings were held each year to arrange marriages, trade horses and discuss issues
• some tribes (e.g. the Sioux) were part of larger groups called nations

Question 4

What were warrior societies?

Answer 4

• the best warriors from each band formed the warrior society
• members supervised hunting and protected their bands from attack

Question 5

How did the Plains Indians view leadership?

Answer 5

• no decision could be made until everyone at the council agreed to it
• the rest of the tribe or band didn’t have to obey the decision
• chiefs and elders were often guided by the spirit world through visions

Question 6

What was the role of men in a band?

Answer 6

Hunted and fought enemies

Question 7

What was the role of women in the band?

Answer 7

Made clothes, fed the family and looked after the tipi

Question 8

What was the role of children in the band?

Answer 8

• Everyone looked after them
• Taught the skills of their parents

Question 9

What was the role of the elderly in the band?

Answer 9

• respected for their wisdom
  -left behind if their weakness threatened the band

Question 10

What were the Great Plains like?

Answer 10

• Very dry
• Very hot summers and extremely cold winters

Question 11

What were the buffalo used for?

Answer 11

• every part of buffalo used for food, clothing & equipment

Question 12

Why were horses important?

Answer 12

• made it quicker and easier to catch buffalo
• wealth and status were measured by how many horses an Indian or tribe had
• used in war

Question 13

What type of lifestyle did the Plains Indians have?

Answer 13

• nomadic
• followed buffalo migrations

Question 14

Why were tipis important?

Answer 14

• made of wood & covered in buffalo hide
• cone shape protected against strong winds
• flaps provided ventilation in the summer heat
• could be taken down and packed away in minutes

Question 15

Consequences of nomadic lifestyle

Answer 15

• Tribes found it very difficult to live permanently on reservations because they were used to travelling and hunting freely

Question 16

Beliefs about nature

Answer 16

• everything in nature had a spirit
• humans should work with the spirits of nsture not try to control it
• they could contact the spirit world through visions and dances

Question 17

Beliefs about land

Answer 17

• tribes had sacred areas e.g. for the Lakota Sioux it was the Black Hills
• no one owned the land, it could not be bought and sold

Question 18

Attitudes to war

Answer 18

• high respect was given to warriors for counting coup: landing a blow on an enemy without being injured
• indian war parties would run away if a fight turned against them

Question 19

When was the Indian Removal Act?

Answer 19

1830

Question 20

What did the Indian Removal Act do?

Answer 20

• forced Indians in the eastern states to move west of the Mississippi River

Question 21

When was the Permanent Indian Frontier?

Answer 21

• 1834
• Indian Trade and Intercourse Act
• was meant to keep Natives and white people separate