native american cultures: the great plainsnative american cultures: the great plains bobby morris,...
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Native American Cultures: The GreatPlains
Bobby Morris, 4, of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, joins hundreds of other dancers for the Grand Entry of the Prairie Island
Dakota Wacipi Celebration Pow Wow hosted by the Prairie Island Indian Community near Red Wing, Minnesota, on July 11,
2003. Nestled along the Mississippi River on 600 sandy acres - about half of it habitable - the Prairie Island Indian Community
is a Mdewakanton Sioux reservation in Goodhue County, Minnesota, along the Mississippi River. The pow wow is a way for
children of Prairie Island to meet other Native Americans as well as learn Native American history. Photo by: AP Photo/Ann
Heisenfelt
By Encyclopedia Britannica, adapted by Newsela staff on 06.15.17
Word Count 1,498
Level 990L
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
The Plains
Native Americans traditionally lived on the Great Plains of the United States and Canada. The
Great Plains is a vast grassland at the center of North America. It stretches from the Rocky
Mountains to the Mississippi River, and from southern Canada to the Rio Grande river in
Texas.
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Tribes And Languages
The Plains Native Americans consist of many different tribes speaking many different
languages. The best known of these tribes include the Blackfoot, Arapaho, Cheyenne,
Comanche, Crow, Kiowa, Lakota and Plains Cree. Some of their languages are similar to
languages spoken as far north as Alaska. Others, such as the Comache, spoke languages
from the Uto-Aztecan language family. These are some of the oldest languages in the
Americas.
Plains peoples invented a type of sign language as well. It represented common objects and
ideas like "buffalo" or "exchange." This allowed people who spoke different languages to
communicate with each other.
Horses Changed Culture
The Plains cultural area is known for its mobile culture. However, this culture developed only
after contact with Europeans.
Before contact, most Plains peoples lived in villages, some of which had populations of
several thousand people. They got their food from farming, hunting and fishing. However, after
Spanish settlers brought horses to North America, many tribes on the Plains abandoned
farming and adopted a nomadic way of life. They spent most of the year following herds of
buffalo as they roamed in search of grass.
Hunting Buffalo
Plains villagers grew corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. They also collected wild produce,
like turnips and berries.
Once horses were introduced, buffalo became the main food source for Plains tribes. At first
most hunters used bows and arrows while hunting on horseback. Later they used guns
acquired through trade with Europeans.
After the hunt, the women skinned the carcasses and cut up the meat. Most of the meat was
cut into thin strips and preserved.
Housing: From Lodges To Tepees
Before 1700 most Plains tribes lived in villages along the Missouri and other rivers. Some
villages had populations of up to a few thousand people. Typical village tribes planted crops in
the spring, spent the summer as nomadic hunters, and returned to their villages in the autumn
for the harvest. In the late autumn they hunted for a short time. Then they moved to hamlets of
a few homes each in the wooded bottomlands, which provided shelter from winter storms.
They returned to their villages in the spring to begin the cycle again.
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Dwellings in the villages were mostly dome-shaped earth lodges. These were roofed and
walled with earth and entered through a covered passage. Earth lodges averaged 40 to 60
feet in diameter and generally housed three-generation families. Earth lodge villages were
usually protected by a defensive ditch and palisade, or fence.Many Plains tribes gave up
permanent villages after they got horses. As they became more reliant on bison hunting on
horseback, they adjusted their way of life to match the habits of the animals.
The nomadic buffalo-hunting tribes lived in portable, cone-shaped tents called tepees. A tepee
was made by stretching a cover of sewn buffalo skins over a framework of wooden poles. The
cover was usually decorated with colorful paintings of animals and the hunt. A flap of the cover
served as a door, and a flap at the top was left open to allow smoke from the central fire to
escape. A tepee was usually 12 to 20 feet high and 15 to 30 feet in diameter. Tepees could be
taken apart quickly and easily. Usually, they were large enough to house an entire family.
The Osage and the Wichita built houses that were similar to the wickiup of the Northeast
culture area. The dwellings of the Osage were composed of upright poles arched over on top,
interlaced with flexible branches, and covered with mats or skins. Wichita houses were more
cone-shaped and thatched with grass.
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Clothes: Buffalo, Deer And Antelope Hides
Plains women made clothes out of the hides of buffalo, deer and antelope. They decorated
them with porcupine quills and, in later times, glass and ceramic beads.
On the northern Plains, in cold weather, men wore buffalo-skin robes painted with scenes of
battles they had fought. Warriors sometimes wore warbonnets, or headdresses made with
eagle feathers on special occasions. Women’s clothing typically consisted of a long dress,
leggings and moccasins.
Making Tools And Weapons By Hand
Plains Native Americans used different parts of the buffalo and other animals to make all kinds
of items. Bedding, utensils and bags were made from buffalo hides. The horns were carved
into spoons, and the hooves were cooked to make glue.
Plains villagers cultivated their crops using antler rakes, wooden digging sticks, and hoes
made from the shoulder blades of elk or bison. Some cooking pots also came from the bison.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5
One of the chief skills of the men was making weapons. They whittled wooden bows and
shaped them in a double curve. Arrows were made with a sharp stone head until European
traders provided metal points. Feathers were tied to the end of the arrow to make it fly straight.
Society: Tribes, Bands, Fighting And Trade
Most Plains tribes were divided into bands, made up of a few dozen to a few hundred people
who lived, worked and traveled together. The leaders of bands were chosen based on their
courage and wisdom.
Each band had its own territory. Some bands were fairly independent of each other, while
others were tightly connected. The bands within a tribe did not fight one another.
Fighting between tribes rarely involved large forces. Usually it was carried out by raiding
parties of a few warriors. These raids were carried out to avenge a death, to steal horses and
especially to gain glory. Tribes rewarded courageous war deeds by giving warriors the right to
wear eagle feathers.
Trade between Plains tribes was common. It often involved trade between nomads and
villagers, as in the trade of buffalo robes for corn.
Family: Dividing The Work
Plains peoples organized themselves into large family-based groups called clans. The
members of a clan shared a common ancestor. Depending on the tribe, a child became a
member of either the father’s or mother’s clan. Because clan members came from different
bands within a tribe, this system was a way to unify the tribe as a whole.
Plains tribes typically had a clear division of labor. Women were responsible for farming,
gathering plant foods, building and maintaining the home, cooking and making clothing. Men
hunted for the household and provided defense for the community.
Religion: Spirits, Shamans, Sun Dance
Plains peoples believed that spirit-beings lived in animals, plants, the Sun, the Moon, the stars
and all other natural things. Success in life was thought to depend on the help of these spirit-
beings. To gain the help of a spirit, a person would go to an isolated spot to fast and beg for
aid.
All Plains tribes had people who communicated with the spirit world. Such people are known
as shamans. They were called on to treat serious illnesses, locate enemies and game animals
and find lost objects. Some Plains peoples, including the Cheyenne, the Atsina, and the
Pawnee, believed in a supreme spirit. The Cheyenne, for example, held that “the Wise One
above” knew better than all other creatures; further, he had long ago left Earth and retired to
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 6
the sky. In smoking ceremonies the first offering of the pipe was always made to him. Some
other tribes, such as the Crow, believed instead in many gods, each of whom possessed
about equal power.
The most important religious ceremony on the Plains was the Sun Dance. It was held once a
year in summer, when the whole tribe could gather. Participants fasted and danced for several
days, praying for power.
Modern Day: Sovereignty, Growth, Development
Assimilationist policies were challenges to tribal sovereignty, or the right to self-government.
Regaining sovereignty became the defining goal of the Plains tribes in the 20th and 21st
centuries. As with other rural communities, many Plains tribes had instituted formal plans for
economic growth by the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Many of these plans were
designed to resolve common rural development issues, such as underemployment and lack of
services. The plans also included programs for cultural revitalization.
Over time, the Plains people lost much of their traditional way of life. Today in the 21st century,
many Native Americans are trying to reconnect with their past. For example, tribal schools
now offer instruction in native languages, many of which were almost lost.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 7
Quiz
1 Which section of the article highlights the idea that Plains Native Americans used every part of the
buffalo they hunted?
(A) "Hunting Buffalo"
(B) "Housing: From Lodges To Tepees"
(C) "Making Tools And Weapons By Hand"
(D) "Family: Dividing The Work"
2 Which piece of evidence from the section "Modern Day: Sovereignty, Growth, Development"
BEST explains how the culture of Plains Native Americans is being preserved?
(A) Assimilationist policies were challenges to tribal sovereignty, or the right to self-
government.
(B) Regaining sovereignty became the defining goal of the Plains tribes in the 20th
and 21st centuries.
(C) Today in the 21st century, many Native Americans are trying to reconnect with
their past.
(D) For example, tribal schools now offer instruction in native languages, many of
which were almost lost.
3 Which selection from the section "Housing: From Lodges To Tepees" is BEST illustrated by the
photograph near that section?
(A) Before 1700 most Plains tribes lived in villages along the Missouri and other
rivers. Some villages had populations of up to a few thousand people.
(B) Dwellings in the villages were mostly dome-shaped earth lodges. These were
roofed and walled with earth and entered through a covered passage.
(C) Many Plains tribes gave up permanent villages after they got horses. As they
became more reliant on bison hunting on horseback, they adjusted their way of
life to match the habits of the animals.
(D) A tepee was made by stretching a cover of sewn buffalo skins over a
framework of wooden poles. The cover was usually decorated with colorful
paintings of animals and the hunt.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 8
4 Which of the following topics is focused on in the article but NOT on the map near the top of the
article?
(A) the variety of languages spoken by different Plains tribes
(B) the large number of tribes that were considered Plains Native Americans
(C) the large area of North America where Plains peoples lived
(D) the names of some of the most well-known Plains tribes
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 9
Answer Key
1 Which section of the article highlights the idea that Plains Native Americans used every part of the
buffalo they hunted?
(A) "Hunting Buffalo"
(B) "Housing: From Lodges To Tepees"
(C) "Making Tools And Weapons By Hand"
(D) "Family: Dividing The Work"
2 Which piece of evidence from the section "Modern Day: Sovereignty, Growth, Development"
BEST explains how the culture of Plains Native Americans is being preserved?
(A) Assimilationist policies were challenges to tribal sovereignty, or the right to self-
government.
(B) Regaining sovereignty became the defining goal of the Plains tribes in the 20th
and 21st centuries.
(C) Today in the 21st century, many Native Americans are trying to reconnect with
their past.
(D) For example, tribal schools now offer instruction in native languages,
many of which were almost lost.
3 Which selection from the section "Housing: From Lodges To Tepees" is BEST illustrated by the
photograph near that section?
(A) Before 1700 most Plains tribes lived in villages along the Missouri and other
rivers. Some villages had populations of up to a few thousand people.
(B) Dwellings in the villages were mostly dome-shaped earth lodges. These were
roofed and walled with earth and entered through a covered passage.
(C) Many Plains tribes gave up permanent villages after they got horses. As they
became more reliant on bison hunting on horseback, they adjusted their way of
life to match the habits of the animals.
(D) A tepee was made by stretching a cover of sewn buffalo skins over a
framework of wooden poles. The cover was usually decorated with
colorful paintings of animals and the hunt.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 10
4 Which of the following topics is focused on in the article but NOT on the map near the top of the
article?
(A) the variety of languages spoken by different Plains tribes
(B) the large number of tribes that were considered Plains Native Americans
(C) the large area of North America where Plains peoples lived
(D) the names of some of the most well-known Plains tribes
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 11