Plains Indians tribal structures
- Created by: cassiarh01
- Created on: 12-04-18 17:03
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- Plains Indians; social and tribal structures
- Bands
- Most people in bands were related to each other
- Led by chiefs and had a council of advisors
- Survival and protection of the band as a whole was seen more important than the individuals in it
- Band roles
- Men (brave) - hunted and fought enemies
- Women (squaws) made clothing, fed the family and looked after the tipi
- Consequence - Plains Indians children were traditionally taught by many different hand members
- Men (brave) - hunted and fought enemies
- Everyone looked after children, taught the skills of their parents
- Elders were respected for their wisdom but were left behind to die if their weakness threatened the survival of a band
- So when the Us Government tried to break Indian Society up into units, it meant that Indian children didn't learn all the skills and traditions of their people.
- Impacted Plains Indians way of life
- Consequence - Plains Indians children were traditionally taught by many different hand members
- Everyone looked after children, taught the skills of their parents
- Elders were respected for their wisdom but were left behind to die if their weakness threatened the survival of a band
- Chiefs
- Chosen because of their wisdom/skill
- Chiefs decided where their bands would go and what should happen to those who broke with customs and traditions
- They didn't have to be obeyed
- Tribes
- Bands in the same tribe supported each other during crisis
- Tribal meetings arranged every year to arrange marriages, trade horses and discuss issues
- Some tribes (e.g. the Sioux) were part of a larger group called nations
- Warrior societies
- Best warriors formed its warrior society
- Members of these societies supervised hunting and protected their bands from attack
- All short raids and wars were led by the warrior society and the band's council would always consult them before they made decisions
- Chiefs and leadership
- No decision could be made until everyone at the council had agreed it
- Consequence - the US government thought that if a chief signed a treaty, all his tribe should obey the terms of the treaty , not how the Plains Indians Society worked
- The rest of the tribe or band did not have to obey the decision
- Chiefs and elders were often guided by the spirit world through visions
- E.g. Chief Red Cloud signed a treaty in 1868, but many Lakota Sioux bands followed cheif Sitting Bull, who opposed it
- Consequence - the US government thought that if a chief signed a treaty, all his tribe should obey the terms of the treaty , not how the Plains Indians Society worked
- The rest of the tribe or band did not have to obey the decision
- Chiefs and elders were often guided by the spirit world through visions
- No decision could be made until everyone at the council had agreed it
- Bands
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