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What traits did the Plains tribes share and what was the economic basis of the way of life for most plains tribes?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
- All Plains tribes relied on hunting for the vast majority of their food, with gathering (roots, fruits and herbs) representing a much smaller ratio of food sources. Hunted animals included deer, antelope, mountain sheep and (most importantly) the American bison or buffalo.
- As a consequence of this dependence on hunting tribes were always split into small hunting bands which followed the wandering herds, meaning a nomadic lifestyle. Bands rarely came together except for important religious ceremonies.
- Men were hunters and warriors and every man was not only a member of a specific clan (depending on whether the clan system was matriarchal or patriarchal), but also a member of a warrior society. These societies were generally arranged on the basis of age, but some tribes had non-age-related societies.
- Horses were of extreme importance to nomadic hunters; without horses as transport the lifestyle could not be maintained. Horses were of such importance that they became a kind of currency.
Speaking about "economy" in connection with hunting nomads who had no idea of what an economy is seems particularly strange. They had no income, no money, no expenditure, no savings and no understanding of currency as we know it. The main preoccupation was not with wealth but with food; following that was an overriding preoccupation with status gained by carrying out brave deeds in war. Only by achieving brave deeds could a man earn respect and only then would he find a wife.
A "wealthy man" was one who had performed brave deeds and accumulated many horses, mainly by stealing them from the enemies of his tribe - but his wealth was not only material, but in terms of respect earned through performing brave deeds and also his generosity and kindness towards his own people.
A man could only become respected and "wealthy" with the aid of supernatural helpers; a man who had never received a powerful vision from the spirit world could not hope to be considered important and would never be made a "chief" in any sense of the word. The importance of religion in the lives of the plains people can not be over-emphasised - it influenced every decision, activity and plan and was ever-present in the minds of everyone from the children to the oldest and wisest.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
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What Tribes of which region used buffalo for clothing shelter and artworks?
Plains
What native Americans did not have access to the ocean?
Plains tribes were inland tribes.
Dwelling in the plains made of mud?
Dwellings in the plains made of mud were called 'pueblos' or 'sod houses'. They were inhabited by Native American tribes of the Great Plains.
When did the plains tribe start?
The Plains TribeS (there's more than one plains tribe) 'began' looooooong before christopher Columbus was even born.
Who made the tipis and where?
Many of the Native American tribes of the Great Plains used tipis. (list of nomadic plains tribes from wikipedia: Blackfoot, Arapaho, Assiniboine, Cheyenne, Comanche, Crow, Gros Venture, Kiowa, Lakota, Lipan, Plains Apache (or Kiowa Apache), Plains Cree, Sarsi, Sioux, Shoshone, and Tonkawa.) They were the ideal shelter for the nomadic lifestyle of the Plains Tribes, as tipis are durable, portable, and can be dissassembled, moved and reconstructed quickly.
What was the northwest of Plains Indians like?
The Northwestern tribes were not plains tribes. They were in a different region from the plains.
Who were the people in the great plains?
Native American plains tribes.
Did hopi use teepees?
No. The plains tribes did and Hopi were not a plains tribe.
What tribes lived in the Great plains?
The Sioux Indians lived in the Great Plains.
What Tribes of which region used buffalo for clothing shelter and artworks?
Plains
Was not an original plains Indian tribes?
None of the Plains tribes were originally Plains tribes - they all migrated into the Great Plains when horses became available. Living on the vast, empty grasslands was almost impossible without horses, which made following the herds a practicable lifestyle.Previously most of the Plains tribes had lived in the northern woodlands or east of the Missouri river.
What was not an Original Plains Indian tribe?
None of the Plains tribes were originally Plains tribes - they all migrated into the Great Plains when horses became available. Living on the vast, empty grasslands was almost impossible without horses, which made following the herds a practicable lifestyle.Previously most of the Plains tribes had lived in the northern woodlands or east of the Missouri river.
Was the yakima one of the plains tribes?
no
What tribe was not an original plains tribe?
None of the Plains tribes were originally Plains tribes - they all migrated into the Great Plains when horses became available. Living on the vast, empty grasslands was almost impossible without horses, which made following the herds a practicable lifestyle.Previously most of the Plains tribes had lived in the northern woodlands or east of the Missouri river.
Why did Apache nomads of the great plains flee to New Mexico where they raided Spanish settlement?
the Apaches were forced into New Mexico by other plains tribes.
What native Americans did not have access to the ocean?
Plains tribes were inland tribes.
Are the Cheyenne Indians in the great plains?
Yes the Cheyenne`s lived in the Great Plains but some tribes lived in the desert. But yeah they lived in the Great plains!
