Native Americans
Pawnee
SS 4H1: The students will describe how
early native American cultures
developed in North America
http://www.bigorrin.org/nez_kids.htm
Where did the Pawnee
Live?
The
Pawnee Indians are original people of
Nebraska and Kansas.
Flat, rainy and grassy
area
How did the Pawnee Survive?
The Pawnees were
farming people. Pawnee
women raised crops of
corn, beans, squash, and
sunflowers.
The men worked together
to hunt buffalo and
antelopes.
Created permanent
villages. They hunted part
of the year and farmed
the other part
How did the Pawnee hunt the
buffalo?
http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/kids/buffalo.html
Tricks to Catch Buffalo: The Plains People had many
ways to catch buffalo. In the old days, before the horse,
they tricked buffalo into running off cliffs. Another way
they tricked buffalo was to have some of the men dress
up in buffalo skins and make crying sounds, like lost
baby buffalo. When a real buffalo left the herd, and
hurried to save what she or he thought was a baby
buffalo in trouble, the People would kill the animal with
spears and arrows. These ideas worked, but they were
not nearly as successful as hunting on horseback.
What were the Pawnee homes
like?
Most Pawnee Indians lived in settled
villages of round earthen lodges. Pawnee
lodges were made from wooden frames
covered with packed earth.
\When the Pawnee tribe went on hunting
trips, they used buffalo-hide tipis (or
teepees) as temporary shelter, similar to
camping tents. Here are some pictures of
lodges, tipis, and other Indian houses.
What were the Pawnee homes like?
A tepee (tipi, teepee) is a Plains Indian home. It is made of buffalo hide fastened
around very long wooden poles, designed in a cone shape. Tepees were warm in the
winter and cool in the summer. Some were quite large. They could hold 30 or 40
people comfortably.
Tepee Poles: The 15-foot poles were sometimes hard to find. Some people became
really good at making sturdy poles. They used them for trade. A typical trade would
be one horse for five poles.
It was up to the women where to place a tepee. The tepee was their castle, and they
were in charge of anything to do with it , including building it, erecting it, breaking it
down for transports. She was in charge of behavior inside the tepee. If she said, "Go
to sleep," everyone had to go to sleep or leave the tepee. She was in charge inside
the tepee. It was her tepee.
Painted Skins: Men were in charge of the outside of the tepee. It was up to them
to bring back the skins necessary to cover the poles. It was up to them to either
bring back horses or hides to trade for poles, or to make the poles themselves. The
men often painted the outside of the tepee they called home. The painting was often
symbolic of their achievements. Each tribe had their own style.
Inside the Tepee: There was a small fire in the center for cooking and for warmth
when needed. Tepees had an open space at the top, a little off center, to let the
smoke out. When it rained or snowed, the men were sent outside to wrap an extra
piece of hide around the top of the tepee. The men always left a little room for
the smoke to get out. The Plains people used little furniture. They slept on buffalo
skins on the floor of their homes.
What type of transportation did the
Pawnee use?
Pawnees used dogs pulling travois
(a kind of dog sled) to help them
carry their belongings.
What type of tools did the Pawnee
use?
Pawnee
hunters used bows and
arrows.
In war, Pawnee men fired their bows
or fought with war clubs and spears.
What kind of clothes did the
Pawnee wear?
Pawnee women wore deerskin skirts and poncho-like blouses.
Pawnee men wore breechcloths and leather leggings and did not
usually wear shirts, but warriors sometimes wore special fringedbuckskin war shirts decorated with beadwork and painted designs.
The wore moccasins, and in cold weather, they wore long buffalohide robes.
Leaders sometimes wore the long warbonnets.
Often men shaved their heads except for a scalplock (one long
lock of hair in back) and wore a porcupine roach on top. Women
wore their hair either loose or braided.
The Pawnee also painted their faces for special occasions. They
used different patterns for war paint, religious ceremonies, and
festive decoration.
Thinking Question….
Based on how the Pawnee survived
and lived…
Do
you think the Pawnee had permanent
villages or did they have to move to find
food?