Why did many white
Americans at first think of the
Great Plains as the ‘Great
American Desert’?
The Plains Indians were
nomadic hunter-gatherers.
What does this mean?
Name three reasons why the
Indians were able to survive
on the Plains.
Name three ways part of the
buffalo that were used by the
Plains Indians & how they
used it.
Who was the leader of a tribe
& how did they get this role?
True or False: In a Plains Indian
tribe there were formal laws
to follow.
Summers – hot & dry
Winters – Cold & snowy
Very little water
Lots of strong wind
Grassland
Believed no-one could settle
there.
Horns – Cups
Skull – religious ceremonies
Skin – Bags, belts
Tanned hide – Bags, bedding,
dresses, tipi covers
Flesh – Cooked, pemmican
Dung – Fuel
Bladder – Food bags
Fat – Cooking, soap
Bones – Arrowheads, knives
Tongue – Hairbrush
Plains Indians moved around
and hunted the buffalo which
was essential for their survival.
Use of the buffalo
Organisation of tribes
Homes – Tipi
Family Life
Chief led a tribe. Got this
power because of their
wisdom, spiritual power or
skills as hunters & warriors.
False: Indians did not have to
follow the orders of the chief
of the tribe.
How were decisions reached
in a Plains Indian tribe?
Give one example of a warrior
society.
Why would a smoking pipe be
smoked during the discussions
of the council?
How did the tipi help the
Plains Indians to live
successfully on the Plains?
What is a warrior society?
What roles did men have
within a tribe?
Decisions were reached by a
council of the tribe – Would
keep talking until everyone
agreed.
Dog soldiers of the Cheyenne
To make sure that the spirit
world would know what they
were saying & help them
make good decisions.
Easy to put up and take down.
Could do this in 10 minutes.
Lack of wood on plains – Tipis
supported by wooden poles.
Cone shaped – Could cope
with wind on the Plains.
A group of brave warriors in a
tribe who would support the
tribe during war.
Did the hunting & protected
the tribe. Men often died
young through hunting &
warfare.
True or False: Plains Indians
tribes contained more women
than men.
Why did Plains Indians
practice polygamy? (Having
more than one wife)
What was the role of children
in the Plains Indians tribes?
What was the most common
reason for war between Plains
Indians tribes & nations?
What was the role of women
in Plains Indians tribes?
What was ‘counting coup’?
True
Children learned the skills they
needed for their adult life
There were more women than Looked after the tipi, prepared
men in tribes
food & made clothing & other
items.
Horses as a warrior was
judged by the number of
horses they owned.
Touching the enemy with a
coup stick. It was considered
brave & meant a warrior was
skilful enough to get close to
the enemy.
Why did the Plains Indians
follow the practice of
‘counting coup’?
How did an Indian warrior
show how many times he had
counted coup?
What weapons did Plains
Indians use in their hunting &
warfare?
Why did the Plains Indians
scalp their enemies?
What was the name of the
Plains Indians afterlife?
What did the Plains Indians
believe about the land?
Men were in short supply and
were valuable in the buffalo
hunt
If a warrior lost his scalp he
could not go into the afterlife
whole and be able to do well
there.
Would be shown in his
headress
Tomahawks & bows and
arrows
Happy hunting ground
Land was sacred & could not
be bought and sold –
Belonged to everyone.
What did the Plains Indians
Why were circles important to
believe about the spirit world?
the beliefs of the Plains
Indians?
What was the sun dance?
When did dances and
ceremonies usually take
place?
How did the Plains Indians try
to get close to the spirits?
What were visions?
Believed in the Waken Tanka –
A great spirit who created the
world & controlled all nature.
Spirits lived in all things.
It involved fasting and
contemplation followed by
suspending warriors from the
roof by putting skewers
through holes in their chest
Life was a circle from birth to
death. The sun & moon were
circles. Camps were in circles
to stay close to the spirits.
Before battles or raids &
before and after the buffalo
hunt.
They would take part in
ceremonies known as dances.
Young men would sit in sweat
lodge to get a vision & this
would provide them with their
adult name.
Name two different Plains
Indians tribes.
What is a big problem for
historians when trying to learn
about the beliefs and practices
of the Plains Indians?
Sioux
Cheyenne
Cherokee
Comanche
They did not write things
down. They passed stories
orally from generation to
generation.