The Plains Indians: beliefs and way of life Flashcards
what was each tribe made up of?
bands
what was the Sioux nation made up of?
Lakota, Dakota and Nakota
what were chiefs?
leaders of the tribes
what were men responsible for?
hunting, tending the horses and protecting the band
what were women responsible for?
raising children
why were old people valued?
for their wisdom and experience
why were horses essential to the indians? How many horses did the Hunkpapa sioux have in 1870?
allowed them to be nomadic
signified status
3500
what did indians use the buffalo for?
everything
what was the buffalo dance?
a way of asking the spirits to help them hunt buffalo
how did indians believe they could contact the spirit world?
through vision quests guided by spirit animals
why was land sacred?
we come from the land
what did indians believe about the land?
no one owned it
where was the most sacred land and why?
the Black Hills because they were high and close to the spirit world
what was counting coup?
a warrior could hit or touch an enemy and get away without being injured
when did war happen?
in the summer months after food had been built up
what did indians do to show their success at war?
hung the scalps of their enemy in their home
what happened if a warrior lost his scalp?
he could not go to the afterlife
what were warrior brotherhoods?
young men who were brave and skilled fighters
where would indians go during the harsh winters?
moved into lodges which were circular buildings made of earth and timber logs
why did indians raid each other?
for food, horses, weapons and people
why did indians have great respect for the buffalo?
they believed that their dead relatives came back as buffalo
