Key topic 1: The Plains Indians Flashcards
who led bands?
chiefs and council of advisers
what did the council of advisers do?
they agreed to everything that the band did
the protection of the band as a whole was seen as more important ……
than the individuals within it
why were chiefs chosen?
because of their wisdom, leadership and spiritual powers or for their skills as warriors/hunters.
what did the chiefs and councils do?
they decided where their bands would go and what should happen to those who broke with customs and traditions
did you have to obey chiefs and councils?
no - the rest of the tribe or band did not have to obey the decision
Indians didn’t have to obey decisions by chiefs, what was the consequence of this when the US government signed a treaty?
US thought all the tribe should obey the terms of the treaty if a chief ever signed one but that was not how plains indians society worked.
why were tribal meeting held each year?
to arrange marriages, trade horses and discuss issues.
who formed tribal councils that advised tribal chiefs?
chiefs and elders
who formed the warrior society?
the best warriors from each band
what did members of the warrior societies do?
- supervised hunting
- protected their bands from attack
- led short raids and wars
how was Plains Indian society view leadership differently from whites?
- no decision could be made until everyone at the council had agreed to it
- the rest of the tribe or band did not have to obey the decision
- chiefs and elders were often guided by the spirit world through visions
what were the role of men (braves)?
hunting and fighting enemies
what were the role of women
- made clothing
- fed the family
- looked after tipis
who looked after children?
everyone
how were elders viewed in plains indian society?
- respected for wisdom
- left behind to die if their weakness threatened the survival of a band
What was the consequence of US government trying to break up Indian society into family units or moving Indian children to schools far away from their tribe?
- they no longer fitted in with their families
- children didn’t learn all the skills and traditions of their people
- impacted plains indian ways of life
what was the climate of the Great Plains?
very dry, with hot summers and extremely cold winters
what wealth and status measured by?
the amount of horses an Indian or a tribe had
some Indians were nomads which meant…..
they ate wild fruits and plant but did not settle long enough to grow crops
when did Plains Indians migrate?
summer and autumn
- followed buffalo migrations
Why were tipis ideal for Plains life?
- their coned shape protected them against strong winds
- flaps provided ventilation in the summer heat
- they could be taken down and packed away in minutes
In winter, were did bands move to?
sheltered valleys where they lived in wooden lodges, insulated with thick layers of soil
Why did nomadic tribes find it difficult to live permanently on reservations?
because they were used to travelling and hunting freely
Band sizes changed depending on…
how much food was available
Why did bands splits up and spread out when food was scarce?
so that there was more chance of everyone getting enough to eat
Beliefs about nature and spirits
- everything nature had a spirit and these spirits could help humans or harm them
- humans were a part of nature and should work with the spirits of nature rather than try than tame and control nature
- they could contact the spirit world through visions and special ritual dances (like the sundance)
Beliefs about land and property
- tribes had sacred areas
- no one owned land: land was not anyone’s property ad not something that one person could buy and keep for themselves
- Land was seen as the “mother” of the Plains Indians
Attitudes to war
- avoided killing too much because young men were essential to each tribe’s survival
- highest respect and prestige was given to warriors for counting coup
- flee if losing a battle
counting coup
landing a blow on an enemy and getting away without being injured
what are the uses of the buffalo
Dung = fuel bones= knives and sledge runners Fur= blankets, mittens and saddle covers Tongue = hair brush Sinews= bowstrings, thread Hooves = glue and tools
what is the importance of horses to Plains indians
- needed to hunt buffalo and to travel across the Plains in search for food
- highly significant for warfare and for status within Plains Indians society
- raids on other tribes or white settlers were often to steal horses
In the 1870s, how many horses did the comanche have and how many people were in the tribe?
nearly 8,000 horses in a tribe of 3,000 people
What happened when food was scarce?
conflicts occurred as tribes pushed into hunting areas that were traditionally used by others
Plains indians thought that farming and mining was _________
disrespectful to the land
What would happen if farming and mining was done on sacred land?
it would disrupt the sacred link between the tribe and the spirits
What were white americans opinions on Plains Indians
- they were savages
- did nothing to improve the land: they just lived off the resources the land produced naturally
Why did white Americans think they deserved the land more than Plains Indians?
because they were trying to improve it:
- ploughing it for farming
- digging up its minerals for manufacturing
- clearing its forests for timber
- developing America into a civilised country
what were two main approaches to tackling the conflict whites and Indians
- keeping white settlers and Plains Indians apart
- encouraging Plains Indians to become like white settlers
keeping white settlers and Plains Indians apart meant that the Indians continued to follow their traditional ways of life rather learning white ways
Why were individual US states not allowed to negotiate with American Indians?
- Because state governments were often openly hostile towards Indian populations and very keen to get hold of their land
- Indians were the responsibility of the federal government: provided Plains Indians with some protection
How was the relationship between American Indians and the federal government unequal?
- federal government viewed the American Indians as being like children who needed to be kept safe while they were guided towards a civilised way of life
- Indians rights as the original inhabitants of the lands were not given any respect and their deep understanding of their environment and how to manage its resouces was largely ignorned
