1.1.3 Dealing with a Different Culture: The Plains Indians’ Way of Life

In this lesson, we will look at the Plains IndiansNative American tribes who lived on the Great Plains and often followed a nomadic lifestyle.. They had a distinct way of life that contrasted sharply with the values and practices of white settlers. Their nomadicA lifestyle of moving from place to place rather than settling permanently. lifestyle, spiritual beliefsReligious and sacred views held by a group., and communal land useA system in which land is shared by a community rather than owned individually. often led to misunderstandings and conflict. As westward expansion continued, U.S. government policies aimed to assimilate or displace Native American tribes, leading to lasting consequences for their communities and culture.

Nomadic Lifestyle and Cultural Practice

The Plains Indians were diverse and included tribes such as the Sioux, Cheyenne, Comanche, and others. They lived nomadically, following the buffalo herds for sustenance and utilising every part of the buffalo for various purposes.

Their societies were deeply rooted in spiritual beliefs and practices, with a strong connection to nature and their ancestral landsLand traditionally inhabited and used by a group of people, often holding spiritual and cultural significance.. In addition, some Plains Indian tribes had practices such as scalpingThe act of removing the scalp of a defeated enemy, practised by some Native American tribes. their defeated opponents , which the White Americans did not understand.

RacismDiscriminatory beliefs or actions based on race.

Deeply rooted racism led to clashes of cultures. White Americans regarded Native Americans as subhuman, which links to the ideas of Manifest DestinyA 19th-century belief that the U.S. was destined by God to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific.. People such as Horace Greeley viewed them as belonging to “to the very lowest ages of human existence” and President Thomas Jefferson called them “backward in civilisation like beasts”.

Land and Economy 

White Settlers did not agree with Native American ways of life: hunter-gatherer economies, communal land use, and different social structures did not align with white American agricultural practices and private propertyLand owned by individuals rather than shared collectively. ideas.

Religion

White American Settlers wanted to convert Native Americans to Christianity, as they believed this to be the correct way to live. However, the Native American tribes already had their own beliefs and so did not often listen to the White missionaries. This caused conflict between the two groups, as both did not appreciate the other’s religious background and roots.

Early American Government Policy Towards the Plains Indians

The U.S. government’s policies toward Native Americans were often driven by a desire to acquire more land for westward expansion. The Indian Removal ActA U.S. law from 1830 that forcibly relocated Native American tribes to areas west of the Mississippi River. of 1830 forced several eastern tribes, like the Cherokee and Seminole, to leave their ancestral lands and move to designated territories in the West.

During this journey there were skirmishes with Native Americans and White Americans. Tension also increased when the government signed treatiesFormal agreements between two or more groups or governments. with Plains Indian tribes, but these treaties were frequently broken or ignored, leading to increased tensions and conflicts.

The Permanent Indian FrontierThe edge of settled territory, beyond which lies unsettled or unfamiliar land.

The government sought to confine Native Americans to designated reservationsDesignated areas of land where Native Americans were forcibly relocated. through the establishment of the Permanent Indian Frontier. This policy aimed to create a buffer zone between settlers and Native American territories. However, this further disrupted the traditional Plains Indians’ way of life, as they were forced to adapt to a sedentary lifestyle and rely on government-provided resources.

A Changing Relationship with the Plains Indians

As the United States expanded westward, conflicts with Native American tribes became more frequent. The Indian WarsA series of armed conflicts in the 19th century between Native American tribes and the U.S. government., which occurred between the mid-19th century and the early 20th century, were a series of armed conflicts between the U.S. military and various Native American tribes.

These wars resulted in significant casualties and the further displacementThe forced removal of people from their land. of Native Americans from their ancestral lands. Despite the adversities, some reformers, such as Helen Hunt Jackson, advocated for Native American rights and the improvement of conditions on reservations.