The Plains

The Plains

The Plains stretches from the Rocky Mountains to the woodlands of Southern Manitoba in Canada. It reaches as far south as Mississippiin the US. A major source of food in the Plains is the Buffalo and First Nations took advantage of it.

The Plains is inhabited by the nomadic Blackfoot, Saulteaux, Gros Ventre, Sioux and Plains Cree. This region has a population of 33,000 in 1700s. They have a main diet of buffalo; therefore, it is eaten every meal. When buffalo meat is cut in to strips and dried, it is called Pemmican. Dried meat can store for a very long time.

Hunters used bows and arrows and spears to hunt. The people of the plains uses different methods to hunt buffalo. The following picture shows that hunters disguises themselves and manipulate the buffalo.

This image is from :

http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_plains5.html

 

Not only is Buffalo a major food source, it is also used as tools.

-Buffalo hooves are boiled into glue, sinew is transformed into thread

-stomachs are served as pots

-horns and bones are fashioned into tools and utensils

-ribs turn into sled runners

-hides are made tipi covers

-clothing, moccasins, and sleeping robes

-buffalo hair are made comfy cradle boards

The Plains people travel by either foot or horse. The type of horse they use is called Spaniards which came from Mexico.

This image is from :

http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_plains5.html

 

The people of the Plains live in Tipis because they are easy to carry. They need to travel a lot in order to find food; therefore, they are nomadic. The Plains people follow buffalo migration trails.

They believe in a great god called Sioux which means the Great Spirit. They also believed that everything posses spirits .

For more information, please visit:

http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_plains5.html