The First Americans
What do we call items like pottery, jewelry, and tools that help us learn about early Native American life?
The artifacts
What type of home did the Native Americans of the Great Plains live in?
Teepes
What animal did Plains people depend on most for survival?
The buffalo
What was the worst punishment for a child who did something wrong?
Having a bucket of water thrown on them
What did Plains people use to make natural paint?
Crushed wild berries
According to scientists, how did the first Americans come to live on this land?
They crossed a land bridge from Asia into North America.
Why did the Plains people move often from place to place?
They followed buffalo herds for food and supplies.
How did men hunt buffalo?
They used bows and arrows and hunted in groups.
What did boys learn to do almost before they could walk?
Ride a horse
What was painted on the outside of teepees?
Unique designs showing each family’s identity
What natural event caused the land bridge between Asia and North America to appear?
The Ice Age
Teepees were made of what two materials?
Buffalo hides and long wooden poles
What did women do to prepare buffalo hides?
They cleaned, stretched, and softened them to make clothing and teepees.
Who taught boys to use a bow and arrow?
Their grandfathers
What did men carve pipes from?
Wood or stone
Name one kind of large animal that people followed across the land bridge.
Bison or caribou
In what direction did every teepee door face, and why?
East, toward the rising sun
Besides meat, what were buffalo horns and bones used for?
Making spoons, bowls, weapons, and toys
What were the responsibilities of women in the tribe?
They set up teepees, cooked, made clothing, and cared for families.
What did eagle feathers in a man’s war bonnet show?
Good deeds and honor
What two major boundaries defined the Great Plains region?
The Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains
What was found in the center of every teepee, and what was it used for?
A fire pit for heat and cooking
What did the Plains people do to meat so it would last during long winters?
They dried or smoked it.
What role did the elders play in the village?
They were chiefs or advisors who used wisdom to settle conflicts.
What did the Plains people believe about spirits?
That spirits existed all around them — in the sun, moon, stars, animals, and people.