Plains People Essay

The First Nations aboriginal people have preoccupied the lands of the great plains as nomadic tribes for the past ten thousand years. These Plains people consist of several diverse groups such as the Blackfoot, Cree, Assiniboine, Sarcee, and Ojibwa. Their dwelling places expands from the prairie provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba all the way down in the south-central parts of the United States which include states such as Texas, the Dakota’s, and Oklahoma. Within these numerous tribes, only three main languages are spoken; Algonquian, Athapascan, and Siouan. The natives considerable amount of experience in these lands has given them the capability to shape the lifestyle and culture they own. The homes they lived in, their clothing,

Changes in seasons and the shifts in the conditions of the weather determined the specific routines and habitual patterns of behavior in the aboriginals. Throughout the summer, the men would be responsible for the constant amounts of hunting. Often, other tribes and groups would assemble as one and manage the hunting together. The women, during these months, would store and package much of the meat for the winter. In contrast, besides sporting game, they also practiced many different rituals to honor their spiritual gods. For example, the Sun Dance occurred every summer solstice to worship the sun by overcoming pain through bravery. The act included a skewer tied to a rope which was connected to a towering pole. That skewer would go through the chest of a chosen male and he leaned backwards so that the skewer came out of his chest. Frequent pow-wows occurred to honor their gods during these times. On the contrary, the winter months were often quiet, being replenished by the summer’s meat. Many of these groups disjointed into smaller families and dwelt in their sheltered tipis. Instead of out in the open plains, they covered themselves in the foothills to protect themselves from the tempest and winds. With each passing season, the climate of the Plains played a significant role in the lifestyle and culture of the aboriginal