Plains Culture

The Plains Culture lived in the area of our country known as the Great Plains. This culture group of Native Americans is well-known for the importance of the buffalo and the use of the tepee. Four important tribes in this culture include the Dakota, Cheyenne, Sioux, and Comanche.

The buffalo was very important to the Plains Culture. They hunted many kinds of animals, but it was the buffalo which provided them with all of their basic needs: food, clothing, and shelter.

 

The Plains Culture followed the movement of the buffalo. Because these Native Americans moved so much, they needed a form of shelter that could moved quickly and easily. They called this type of home the tepee. The tepee was made by long poles tilted together and covered with buffalo skin.

The Plains Culture used the meat of the buffalo for food. They would roast or boil the buffalo meat, sometimes with vegetables. The meat that could not be eaten right away was cut into strips and hung on racks to dry. It would then keep for a long time.

No part of the buffalo went to waste. The horns were used as spoons, cups, and toys. The bones were used as tools and weapons. The tail was used as a fly brush or whip. The skins were used for clothing. Native Americans of the Plains Culture only killed what was needed to survive, never more.

 

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