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Many people think of the Plains Indians as people who traveled from place to place to find food and basic supplies. Only some of the tribes in this area lived that way. There were more than 30 different tribes who lived in the Great Plains. Like the Europeans who came to America from different countries, these tribes all had their own language, religious beliefs, customs and ways of life. Where are the Great Plains located? 
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The Plains Indians who did travel constantly to find food hunted large animals such as bison (buffalo), deer and elk. They also gathered wild fruits, vegetables and grains on the prairie. They lived in tipis, and used horses for hunting, fighting and carrying their goods when they moved. Other tribes were farmers, who lived in one place and raised crops. They usually lived in river valleys where the soil was good. |
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The Horse Changes Everything |
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Plains Indians didn’t always have horses. The Spanish brought horses to the Southwest in the 1500’s. Before horses, not many tribes lived or traveled outside the river valleys because of the long distances. It was also very difficult to hunt bison on foot. Horses made it possible for some Plains Indians tribes to leave their permanent villages to hunt bison all over the Great Plains.
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New Opportunities, and a Threat |
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By the 1840's, American traders began coming to the Plains. At first the Indians didn’t mind them being on their land because the Americans brought goods for trade. This allowed Indians to get products they didn’t have. Some of the goods Indians got in trades were metal-tipped arrows, metal tools, pots and pans, guns, cotton and wool cloth. All of these things made their lives better. After 1840, more and more Americans were coming through the area on the Santa Fe, California and Oregon Trails. As more American settlers traveled through, many stayed. The Indians began to feel threatened and started to fight to keep their land. The Indians won a few battles, but over time the number of Americans grew larger. In the end, the Indians could no longer win the battles. They were forced off their land and made to live on reservations. Reservations are land where the Indians were sent to live so they wouldn't interfere with the American settlers’ way of life |
The End of a Way of Life |
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By 1900 all the Plains Indians had been sent to reservations. Once they were on reservations the government made them give up their way of life. They weren’t allowed to speak their languages, practice their religions, or keep their customs. They were considered foreigners on their own land. Finally the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 gave permanent U.S. citizenship to all Indians. But it wasn't until 1940 that all adult Indians got the right to vote.
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Last updated: June 1, 2020