Who were the Indigenous Peoples of the Plains? (Edexcel GCSE History)

How were the Tribes on the Great Plains Different? - Summary

Despite sharing a common geographical region, the indigenous tribes differed in their societies and cultures.

One significant difference among the tribes of the Great Plains was their way of living. Some tribes, such as the Sioux and Cheyenne, were nomadic hunter-gatherers. They followed the seasonal migration patterns of buffalo herds. In contrast, other tribes like the Mandan and Hidatsa were more settled farmers. They lived in permanent earth lodges along the riverbanks. They grew crops like corn, beans and squash.

Another difference was the leadership structure within each tribe. Some tribes, like the Sioux, had a political system with multiple chiefs and councils. Others, like the Pawnee, had a more centralised leadership with a single chief or council of elders.

Cultural practices and traditions also varied among the tribes. Each tribe had its own unique ceremonies, rituals and spiritual beliefs. Indigenous people passed down these customs through generations. For example, the Lakota Sioux performed the Sun Dance to renew the connection between humans and the natural world. The Cheyenne practised the ceremonial smoking of the sacred pipe as a symbol of peace and unity.

European settlers ignored or misunderstood these differences. They attempted to apply Western concepts of government to the indigenous tribes. This caused the European settlers to view the indigenous people as ‘savages’ or ‘uncivilised’.

The Tribes of the Plains

• Hundreds of tribes lived in the Great Plains

  • The Sioux Nation was the largest tribe on the Great Plains

    • The Sioux were split up into different groups like the Santee Sioux

  • Some tribes were fierce enemies like the Pawnee and the Sioux

  • Tribes made alliances with each other

    • They would often break their alliances due to the interference of European settlers

The Tribal Structure of the Plains

• Each tribe had a slightly different way of structuring their society, depending on:

  • The size of the tribe

  • The tribal leader

  • The tribe’s unique set of values and beliefs

Tribal Structure of the Sioux

Chiefs in the Great Plains

• The leaders of the Indigenous people in America were called chiefs

• Chiefs were:

  • Always men

  • Spiritual leaders

  • Negotiated with other tribes and Europeans 

• Each band had a band chief

  • They were chosen to protect the band from danger

Famous Tribal Chiefs

Tribal Councils

• Band chiefs and elders formed tribal councils

• Councils could have a range of responsibilities, for example:

  • Declaring war

  • Negotiating peace treaties

  • Listening to the advice of the spiritual chief

• Every member of the council had equal power

  • Every decision made had to have the agreement of all members

Warrior Brotherhoods

• Each tribe had several warrior brotherhoods

  • Young men created armed groups to fight and protect their community from other tribes

  • Warrior brotherhoods had a strong belief in their tribe’s values and customs

• Warrior brotherhoods fought with other tribes to prove their bravery and skills

• Tribal chiefs chose key members from each warrior brotherhood to:

  • Form a guard unit for the whole tribe

  • Organise the yearly buffalo hunt

  • Hunt for food to feed elderly and ill tribal members

Why did the Tribal System Cause Issues with European Settlers?

The Importance of the Buffalo in the Plains

• Buffalo were vital for the lives of Indigenous people because:

  • Every part of the buffalo was used by them

    • The Indigenous people deeply respected animals due to their beliefs in spirits

  • Tribes were nomadic, following the migration of the buffalo

    • Indigenous people would live in tipis, which could be dismantled quickly

  • Indigenous people developed skills in horse-riding and archery to catch the buffalo

The Beliefs of the Indigenous People of the Plains

Wakan Tanka

• The Sioux people believed in ‘Wakan Tanka'

  • This translates to the ‘Great Spirit’

• They believed that Wakan Tanka:

  • Existed within every creature and plant

  • Guided the Sioux people on ‘vision quests’ through spirit animals

  • Communicated with Sioux people through ritual dances

  • Gave them luck through spiritual objects

• The Wakan Tanka impacted the Sioux people's belief in the land

  • The Sioux worked with nature and did not control it

  • As a result, they believed that they did not own the land

    • Wakan Tanka gifted the land and all its resources to protect the Sioux people

  • Certain areas of land were sacred to tribes

    • For example, the Black Hills of Dakota were sacred to the Sioux

    • Holy men went to the Black Hills to seek guidance

    • Sioux dead were buried here

The Role of Women

• Indigenous women were not seen as equal to Indigenous men

  • An example of this is that women could not become chiefs

• Men could have more than one wife

• Women did have a valued role in tribal society

  • They fed and clothed their families

  • They made products with buffalo hide and meat to trade with other tribes

Tribal Warfare in the Plains

• Warfare was incredibly important for tribal society because:

  • It protected their hunting grounds

  • Tribes won horses and other key resources

  • It kept young men under control and gave them honour

  • It unified the tribe

• Men were trained from a young age to fight

• Tribal leaders valued young men in society

  • No tribe could afford to lose too many men in fights

• Tribes developed warfare methods that limited casualties

  • Real honour came not from killing but from counting coup

    • This was getting close enough to an enemy, while alive, to touch him with a special stick

  • Raids of other tribes would only take place if they had a good chance of succeeding

  • Only selected brotherhoods would go on raids

• In extreme cases, tribal warfare was brutal

  • Young warriors took scalps as trophies for their achievements in battle

    • Warriors displayed them on their tipis

    • The removed scalp ensured that his enemy's spirit could not take revenge in the afterlife

  • European settlers were horrified by the Indigenous way of warfare