Everything you need to know
About the west!
What are it's features?
The west is a beautiful range of fertile lands and rocky hills and mountains. It is also where Oregon and California is situated. from east to west there is flat land named 'The great plains' or 'The Great american desert'. It is Land belonging to the plains Indians (explained on the page below). It is also land to the Buffalo, a mighty animal. The plains also contain breath taking rock formations.
Who went west and Why?
All the land across the Missouri river is called the 'west'. Over the years, many European settlers, pioneers and farmers travelled over the mountains in search for fertile Land to farm. Many people dared go further, over the Missouri, to find a place to settle. They found a massive area of grass plains now called the 'American desert'. They decide to travel even further and found Many other geographical features, like the rocky Mountains and the Plateaux region, Before settling to create the towns of California and Oregon. California is known for its GOLD RUSH. Be sure to check that region for gold!!!!
What do need on your journey?
Here is a list of items that you will need on your journey:
-Food supplies (for a couple of weeks as well as water)
-liquor (for trading with indians)
-carts or vehicles (for transport. these can also be used as shelter)
-guns (for defence and trade)
-warm clothes (can also be given by indians by trade)
- please take whatever you think is necessary (that isn't listed) on the trip as well.
THE INDIANS
Who are the plains Indians?
The plains indians are groups called "tribes" of people living in the great plains. Most of the "tribes" are peaceful and will look forward to trade with you. Indians wear hides and have a brown skin colour. on the right you can see the territory of the indians. Here is a list of the "tribes" you may encounter:
-Dakota
-Lowa
-Kiowa
-comanche
-wichita
-Osage
-Lakota
-Arapcho
What are the beliefs of the Indians?
Most tribes (Lakota) believe in 'The great spirit'. They believe that He arranged the world so that every living thing helped each other. They believed that when you died you'd go in the afterlife with the great spirit. To become men in the eyes of the great spirit, the boys of the tribes go off into the wilderness alone, eating and drinking nothing during the several days they are out there as well as not seeing anyone. There are also ceremonies called 'sacred Dances' where a boy is attached to a pole by string. The string is attached to the boy in a painful manner. The boy would dance around the pole until he felt no more pain.
Why is the Buffalo so sacred to the Indians?
The Buffalo is the main source of nutrition in the great plains therefore, if a Buffalo is killed, From skull to dung, nothing would be wasted. The Indians would kill only enough to feed the tribe that is why the Buffalo isn't beginning to disappear. Some parts of the Buffalo (e.g the skull) Are also used in ceremonies. Most was used to make equipment (e.g Knives, arrows, hides, etc...)
Painting of how the buffalo is Hunted.
Here Is a ceremonial dress of the Indians
A close-up of hunting Buffalos
Why are there different Interpretations of Indians?
There are different Interpretations of indians because different people examined different tribes thus giving their own opinion or information about what they recorded. Also men with different beliefs and religions reviewed the indians criticising their beliefs and writing how they are wrong.
What is family life like for the Indians?
Family life is very important for the Indians. Parents do not punish their Children harshly in Indian families. Parents Only raise their voice if the child has Done something silly or dangerous. They punish their children by forbidding something they like doing like preparing meals and tracking animals. Men were allowed more than one wife (squaw) as skinning the buffalo was a hard job. The Squaws teach children what they know and the father teaches their son how to hunt.
Sources
Paper work:
-Booklets from miss De Costa Li.web/ articles, etc..
-http://www.ilhawaii.net/~stony/buffalo2.html
-http://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=856
-http://www.history.org/almanack/life/family/first.cfm
-http://people.ucls.uchicago.edu/~snekros/2007--8%20webquests/Daily%20Life%2089/dailylife89.html