Nomadic: GCSE History Definition

In GCSE History, nomadic means moving from one place to another rather than living in one place all the time. Many Indigenous tribes lived a nomadic lifestyle, which caused conflict with white settlers.

Most Indigenous tribes lived nomadically because they followed the buffalo's migration. Many tribes depended on the buffalo for all of the resources needed to survive on the Plains. The nomadic lifestyle is also linked to many tribes' beliefs about land ownership. Many Indigenous people did not settle on land because they believed that land could be owned or sold. Tribes like the Sioux believed in the 'Wakan Tanka' or 'Great Spirit' who had gifted the land and nature to the tribe.

The Indigenous people's nomadic lifestyle caused conflict with the white settlers. How white settlers wanted to use the Plains was a significant cultural difference to the many Indigenous tribes. The use of treaties, reservations and assimilation ended their nomadic lifestyles.

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