| Almost all of the Plains Indians fed themselves by hunting, not farming, which meant that they needed to move from place to place. Each tribe was divided into several smaller groups called bands. Apart from certain times of year, when all the bands come together for ceremonies and celebrations, they lived separately. Each band had to be small enough to move about fairly quickly and not use up too much food, but large enough to have enough men for a hunting party or to defend the village from enemy attack.
Family tipis were often crowded places. In order to have their own space to sit and chat, young warriors built themselves temporary brush-covered huts called wickiups. Many family members lived in one tipi, which became very crowded and allowed for little privacy. As many as eleven adults and children could share a tipi, along with all of their clothing, tools, weapons, and food. The lack of space made it essential to keep things very tidy, and everything and everyone had its proper place. The grandmother and the younger wives usually stayed in the area where the food and firewood were kept and the cooking was done, and the man's senior wife sat at the rear of the tipi with her husband and his guests. The saddles and bridles were kept in the "men's side" of the tipi, and the men's weapons were always placed by their beds so that they could grab them quickly if the village was attacked during the night. Holy items were always placed at the rear of the tipi. During the winter, Plains Indians lived in one camp for several months. Before moving they had a large tribal buffalo hunt. This ensured enough buffalo for a good supply of robes to trade and keep them warm, and plenty of meat dried and stored for the coming months. In the spring, summer, and fall, bands moved camp every few days. When traveling, they moved slowly, covering eight to fifteen miles per day until they came to a place with fresh water, wood for their fires, and plenty of good grass for the horses. Indians who traveled together usually set up their tipis next to a river, if they could find one. If the whole tribe met together for a ceremony, or if they suspected that there were enemies in the area, they laid the tipis out in concentric circles or one large circle. Tipis belonging to chiefs and warrior societies were often placed at the center of the village. Plains Indians lived in teepees made of buffalo hides and held up by wooden poles. These teepees were warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The door to the teepee was a round opening which faced east toward the rising sun. In the middle of the teepee, a small fire was built for cooking and warmth. Plains Indians usually slept on buffalo robes on the teepee's floor. The Plains Indians thought their teepees were very important so they often painted them. These paintings were often religiously symbolic. Women in these tribes were responsible for putting up and taking down the teepees. The Indians transported their teepees from place to place using horses. These tribes were called nomads. Some tribes did not move from place to place, so these Indians lived in earth or grass lodges. These lodges were dome-shaped and covered with earth. The tribes kept moving following the seasonal and grazing migration of bison. The Plains Indians created tipis because they were easily disassembled and allowed the nomadic life of following game. When escaped Spanish horses were obtained, the Plains tribes rapidly integrated them into their daily lives, wealth and hunting techniques. They fully adopted a horse culture beginning in the 17th century. |
| A Typical Village During the Plains Indian Wars |
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