Plains Indians focusing lifestyle and living conditions

The largest group of Indians that lived in America were the Plains Indians. The largest tribe of Plains Indians called themselves the Lakota or Sioux Indians. At the start of the nineteenth century these tribes moved from place to place hunting. They were called nomads.  Nomad means that the Indians never stayed in one place but moved around following the buffalo that they hunted. In today’s lesson we are going to see what it was like to live in an Indian camp.

The Plains Indians were people who did not like to live in one place. They liked to travel around and moved camps at least three times a year. For this reason they lived in tepees, these were like big tents and were easy to put up and take down. These tepees were transported by horses.

Inside the tepee you would find all the items that people needed to live. The Plains Indians would decorate the insides with pictures, store their weapons and food. The Indians would also have a fire in the middle of the tepee to cook the food. The Sioux people used to put buffalo skins on the floor to use as carpets. You would also find their beds.

In the Indian camp everyone had a job to do. The men had to hunt for food, and keep the families safe. The women had to cook all the meals, make the clothes, look after the children and whenever the camp moved they had to take down and put up the tepees.

Facts PDF Worksheet:

• • Aimed at Students studying at UK Year 8/9 or equivalent
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