the american west Flashcards
plains indians beliefs and ways of life.
what was a tribe?
each tribe was made up of different bands, which had up to several hundred people. in order to survive these bands worked together and would meet in the summer in a great tribal group.
which tribes where the sioux nation made up of
lakota, dakota, nakota- they were one of the biggest nations.
who where chiefs
leaders of plains indians society,were always men,were values becuase of their wisdom and leadership
what was the warrior brotherhood
group made up of brave and skilled young men.
what was the role of the warrior brotherhood
-they trained young men in fighting skill-they didnt always respect peace treaties
-leading members formed a guard unit for the whole tribe which organised the yearly buffalo hunt and chose were the ribes made camp.
famous chiefs
red clous,sitting bull,crazy horse.
role of women
-highly valued and respected
-role was to look after families and make food and products from the buffalo
-women could not be chiefs and men could have more than one wife.
beliefs about nature and animals
buffalo and horses were very important. they treated all animals with respect as they beleived everything in nature had a spirit.
-they beleived they could contact the spirit through vision quests guided by spirit animals.
beliefs about war
tribes would raid each other for food,horses,weapons,and people. raids would only go ahead if they were likley to succeed and raiders would run away if things looked bad.
counting coup was a type of fighting where a warrior would try and touch or hit an enemy and get away unharmed. this required skill and bravery and was an alternative to killing to preserve life.
beliefs about land
land was viewed as sacred and farming and mining it by some was seen as disrespectful
beliefs about property
indians did not believe in buying,selling,or owning land. in some cases land did belong to a family or tribe for hunting or farming. sometimes this was agreed to be shared with another tribe.
role of tipis in survival
lived in tipis, could be packed easily and transported to support their nomadic lives, in winter protected against winds and could be rolled up in summer.
role of horses in survival
needed for hunting fighting and travelling. indians often raided rival tribes or white settlers to steeal horses.
role of buffalo in survival
they didnt waste any part of the buffalo, they ate the meat. the hide was used for clothes and tipi covers. the fat was used for soap. the dung was used for fuel.
