Dwellings
What are these two types of dwellings, and which
cultures used each? \
Made of animal hide, the tepee is a type of Native
American dwelling. In contrast, settlers typically built
houses from sod.
How does each type of shelter reflect the lifestyle of
the two cultures?
Tepees were adapted to the nomadic culture of Native
Americans and facilitated ease of movement, as many
groups roamed great distances following buffalo on the
open range. Sod houses were adapted to the permanent
settlement culture of the settlers.
Cultural Differences
• Native American Way of Life Many Native American
groups were nomadic. Traveling in groups of extended
families, they were dependent largely on the buffalo for
food, clothing, and shelters. They believed in the spiritual
power of the natural world. While certain groups claimed
lands as hunting grounds, the concept of land ownership
did not align with their spiritual beliefs.
• Threats by Settlement Farmers and ranchers
threatened the Native American way of life with
permanent settlements, planted acreage, and livestock
drives. Miners threatened Native Americans when they
sought lands occupied by Native Americans where
valuable minerals had been discovered.
Buffalo
How did the buffalo affect the way of life for Plains Indians?
Many Native Americans relied on the buffalo for food, shelter, and
clothing. As the buffalo roamed the open range, many Plains Indians
lived as nomads, following the buffalo.
How did the westward movement of settlers affect Plains
Indians in different ways?
Miners often settled in areas such as the Black Hills of the Dakota
Territory, where gold had been discovered, forcing Native Americans
off of land that had been guaranteed to them. Ranchers fenced in
large areas of land and killed off buffalo that competed with their
livestock for grazing land. Farmers plowed up sod to plant crops,
which deprived buffalo of their food source.
Discuss the conflicts that arose between Plains
Indians and settlers as Western settlement increased.
Struggles of the Plains Indians
• Westward Migration Miners, ranchers, and farmers
moved westward in the mid-1800s, settling in areas that
had long been home to Native Americans and to the
enormous buffalo herds that sustained them.
• Nomadic Culture Many Plains Indians lived as nomads,
following the buffalo. As the buffalo population was
decimated by settlement, Native American culture was
threatened. Violence broke out in the 1860s.
• Early Battles Major early battles include the Dakota
Sioux Uprising, Red Cloud’s War (noted on the map
within the callout for the second Treaty of Laramie), and
the Sand Creek Massacre.
Native American Conflicts
Why do you think some Native
Americans attacked settlers as well as
troops?
Both groups had built permanent
structures or otherwise taken over Native
American hunting grounds.
The Reservation System
• Separation The Indian Peace Commission
established a reservation system with the goal of
separating the Native American population from
settlers.
• Compensation The commission promised the
Native Americans compensation for the
disruption of their way of life.
• Broken Promises Government payments to
Native Americans rarely arrived. Starvation led
to violence.
Reservations
What adaptations might Native
Americans have had to make when they
went to reservations?
They would have needed to change from a
nomadic lifestyle to one of homesteading,
like that of some settler groups.
Activity
• Write a paragraph in response to the
Guiding Question:
How did westward migration change the
Plains Indians’ way of life?