Unit 4 Day 3 Nov 16
Great Plains First Nations
At the time of initial European contact, the Plains buffalo culture had been established for
thousands of years. Groups of extended families traveled together and joined seasonal camps for
hunting, food gathering, and celebrations. These seasonal gatherings also served a social
function. Plains peoples met for games and gambling, and they also renewed social ties. Councils
and ceremonies were held for men's and women's societies. Women who were respected for their
skills in crafts or hunting were consulted for their wisdom. Younger or less experienced women
sought them as teachers and guides. The political leadership of these seasonal camps was based
upon a system of consent. Family and peers considered each other primarily as equals and the
leader held no power beyond influence. He was chosen because he was well respected within the
community and because he was also an exceptional hunter. The Poundmaker was the winter
village chief.
A united armed force guarded against other bands killing bison within a given area. Peace
negotiations were performed with ceremonial pipes, which solidified bonds or decisions. But if
peaceful solutions failed, war was waged for territorial, political, and revenge issues. Conflicts on
the Plains were common but there were few casualties. On the Plains war pits were dug so as to
allow warriors to fight while under cover. Men were killed in battle, and enemy women and
children were captured during warfare and adopted.
There developed a code of ritualised fighting, called "counting coup", which involved
striking an enemy with a special stick. The game was judged on the degree of difficulty and
danger a warrior faced when getting close enough to the enemy to actually land a blow.
"Counting Coup" was also the term used to describe warriors recounting their exploits in battle.
The greatest achievement for a warrior was stealing an enemy's weapons. Young males trying to
establish their warrior status carried out raids on enemy camps. Men belonged to military warrior
societies, which were formed around the image and character of an animal spirit. The wearer of
the Buffalo headdress did not back down in battle. A headdress of feathers and scalps symbolised
the defeat of an enemy in hand-to-hand combat and taking of the loser's scalp. A warrior with a
headdress and scalp was entitled to marry and establish a household. A headdress that flowed
down to the ground indicated that the wearer was a candidate for chief.
The Plains region was inhabited by as many as sixty million bison. The bison became the
single most important animal to the Natives of the Plains, the primary source of meat in the
Native diet and for raw material for manufactured goods. The bison provided food, shelter,
clothing, containers, and tools. The bison's size and coat made it ideally adapted to the seasonal
extremes of the Plains climate. Herds could locate grass under snow but they always left a small
amount of grass so that it could replenish itself for the following season.
Trade and exchange systems can be traced through the archaeological record. Lithic
(stone) materials and raw materials unearthed outside of the their area of origin allow an
examination of trade and exchange patterns. The Plains cultures had established a reciprocal
trade system. It involved a system of barter between different groups for primarily perishable
goods. The Plains cultures traded pemmican and hides in return for corn, pumpkin, and tobacco.
Raw materials such as obsidian came from the Rocky Mountains, and luxury or ornamental
items, such as columella shell, came from what is now the southeastern United States. The
finding of copper artefacts from the Great Lakes region demonstrates the vastness of the trade
networks that existed. The unearthing of catlinite pipes and ornaments from Minnesota, and knife
river flint from North Dakota, are indications of north to south trade networks, which developed
over centuries.
Hide with hair: floor coverings, beds, clothing, and moccasins
Hide, no hair: soft clothing, moccasins, tepees, and baby blankets
Hide, no hair: stiff quivers, parfleches, and rigid containers
Bladders: waterproof bags
Brains and liver: product to tan leather
Stomach: cooking pots and watertight containers
Bones: scrapers, knives, awls, and arrow shafts
Rib bones: sleigh runners for children's toys
Skull: ceremonial object
Horns: cups and spoons
Sinews: bowstrings, threads, lashing cords, and ropes
Tail: fly swatter
Hair: stuffing, paintbrushes, ornaments and cords
Teeth: necklaces
Dewclaws: rattles
Hooves: glue
Dung: fuel for fires
Notes on next page
Notes Unit 4 Day 3 Nov 16
1. Great Plains people joined seasonal camps for
hunting, food gathering, and celebrations.
2. Accomplishments that made women respected were
skills in crafts and hunting.
3. The leaders of seasonal camps held no power
beyond influence.
4. The leaders of seasonal camps were chosen because
he was well respected and because he was an
exceptional hunter.
5. Great Plains people protected their bison herds by
having a united armed force watch over them to
prevent enemies from killing their bison.
6. Three reasons war was waged were 1) territory 2)
political reasons 3) revenge.
7. ACounting coup” is a fighting game in which people
try to strike their enemy with a stick.
8. Young males tried to prove their status as warriors
by raiding enemy camps.
9. A headdress that flowed to the ground indicated
that the wearer was a candidate for chief.
10. Great Plains people used bison for food, clothing,
shelter, containers, and tools.