How did native Americans propose?

Answer 1

Marriage traditions were different for each culture and tribe, so there was no universal native American tradition about proposals.

In the Plains culture it was generally forbidden for a young man to speak directly to the girl he was interested in, except in specific situations. They might stand together in the middle of the camp circle with a buffalo robe or blanket held over their heads - everyone would ignore them and they could speak briefly to each other. The young man might go and see a medicine man with proven powerful love medicine and ask him to make a Flute, which might be carved with horse, duck or elk symbols.

He would then play this flute quietly outside the tipi of the girl and her family in the evenings, often over many evenings, to indicate his interest. If the father of the girl liked the young man he would indicate this to his daughter and she was able to go and tell the young man; if he disapproved he would say nothing and the young man would eventually give up and stay away.

There was no formal proposal of marriage - the young man, if accepted by the girl's father, would offer him a number of fine horses. If the father accepted them, the couple were considered married and immediately moved in together in their own tipi. If the horses were not accepted, more might be offered, or an enemy scalp might be added to the gift.

No young Plains girl would consider marrying a man who had not proved himself in hunting and in warfare - the horses not only symbolised the young man's success in battle but also compensated the bride's father for the loss of a female from his tipi (since it was the females who did most of the manual work).

Marriage proposals, wedding ceremonies and "honeymoons" were not generally part of native culture.