the plains indians way of life Flashcards
What was 150 known as?
Dunbars number
What was dunbars number?
maximum number of people which can exist in a coherent, subfunctioning group
What was the most important thing to a band
survival
Who were the chiefs
most powerful, popular, successful members of a band
How was prestige and power earned?
hunting or fighting
Who makes the final decisions?
Chiefs
Who were elders?
Wise people who transmitted culture and values in plains indian societies
Where is the great plains
A large strip of America, stretching from the border of Canada to the border of Mexico
What did indians believe about all things in the world
That they have a spirit
What did chiefs and elders believe about spirits?
That they could talk to them through visions
What would indians do annually to communicate with spirits?
a sun dance
What had british law always valued?
property rights and land ownership, they believe land was communal
What was the indians approach to war?
nomadic, oftently riding on horseback, they would often fleee a fight instead of continuing to fight
What was the oregon trail?
A 2,000 mile route cutting right across the great plains . It went from the east coast to the west coast of america
What did the oregon trail allow white settlers to do?
enabled them to trade more and move around the USA
