A Guide to the American West
Everything You Need to Know
Introduction
A depiction of a Native American
An example of the treacherous landscape which was formed over millions of years
A photo of a herd of bison which are indigenous to these lands.
Terrain of the West
If you survive all this, you will come down into the plateaux area of the the Great Salt Lake and the Great Basin, which is the drainage area so that all the water is underground making it semi-arid. The good thing is that the Great Basin Area is home to man y different species so you will find food there if you possess the necessary hunting and fishing skills!
And then you have to cross another mountain range to get to the warm and fertile Pacific coastlands. The snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada are 4500 meters high and the scenery is magnificent but you may be too exhausted to enjoy it. Finally, you will reach the end of your epic journey (if you're lucky!), and there before you, at last, lie California and Oregon.
The Sierra Nevada
Who went West and their reasons
A religious group, The Mormons also went West . They were escaping from persecution from those who opposed their religious views and did not like the way they lived.
Many of the European immigrants also went West looking for land where they could settle as the Eastern states were now becoming heavily populated. They settled on the Great Plains and were known as the Homesteaders as the government had passed a law known as the Homestead Act which made it possible to buy land in the West very cheaply.( Later, some of the homesteaders included black slaves (who had been freed in 1865). There was a belief in Manifest Destiny, " our manifest destiny is to overspread the continent" wrote John O'Sullivan , the editor of a magazine, The Democratic Review in 1845.
Another group rushed to California for an entirely different reason when gold was found there in 1848. The gold prospectors were known as the 'forty-niners'.
Preparing for the journey...
If you have room for some extra items, a clock would be useful and you might want to take a bible which you can consult in moments of despair. Taking valuable objects on the trail is not recommended. This not only because of the extra weight and the harsh weather conditions but also because of the strong possibility of theft carried out by other pioneers or the Indians.
Obviously, you will need maps, (which are readily supplied by the US Government), a lantern, a compass, good rope and of course guns and ammunition, both for hunting and protection.
Pioneers pulling their wagon along the trail
A photo of a pioneer with his covered wagon
Some useful items for your journey
Who are the Plains Indians
As you will be crossing the Great Plains you will encounter the Indians who live there. They are a nomadic race and are generally peaceful although they have been known to attack. It is important to have some valuable information on these native peoples in event of an encounter.
First of all, you should be aware that the Amerindian race has lived on this continent for thousands of years. Interestingly, they have not adapted new ways of living as we have. While we prefer to sleep in a lodge made of wood while Indians will always do so in huts, which are easily transportable and the perfect, temporary shelter for a nomadic lifestyle.
Religious beliefs of the plains Indians
The Plains Indians no nothing of our God and the Christian religion. They are heathen Polytheists, worshipping many gods. They worship everything in nature, the sun, the moon and the stars, many of the animals and the trees. All these are their gods and they pray to them and even to the stones! They do believe in a greater god whom they call the Great Spirit.
They are especially devoted to the eagle and believe that this bird is the messenger of the Great Spirit. This is why their chiefs wear the eagle feathers as a sign of bravery.
Their main religious ceremony is the Sun Dance which takes place in the summer and lasts for 4 days, during which time they neither eat nor drink. Another feature of this ceremony is the voluntary suffering of young males who accept strange, piercing torture. They believe that their suffering will bring blessing on the whole tribe and the sun god will be pleased and favor them. At the end of the 4 days of prayer and fasting there is a great feast.
It is advisable to remain as far away as possible from this ceremony as the Indians would not be pleased if white outsiders witnessed their sacred rites. You have been warned !
An interpretation of the Great Spirit
Preparing for The Sundance Ceremony
the Sundance ceremony taking place
The Importance of the buffalo to the Plains Indians
The Sioux Indians use the buffalo for food. They also use it for clothing and shelter. Because the buffalo is so important, it has a special place in their religion. An old story tells that the Indians once lived underground. They called themselves Pte Oyate, or the Buffalo Nation. One day, they came to the surface to live. Here, life was hard. A holy man named Tatanka came to them as a buffalo. He gave the people everything they needed. Today, one Indian name for the buffalo is tatanka.
The buffalo moves in herds. The people must move with them. They live a nomadic lifestyle. They follow the buffalo to new grasslands or pastures. Hunting was hard before white people brought horses to the Americas. Most of the tribe had to help hunt the buffalo. The people would herd the animals into a canyon or corral. Hunters killed the penned animals. The process they use today goes as follows; the hunters (on horseback) attack the buffalo herd and launch arrows at them. They have learned how to control their horses with their legs while maneuvering a bow.
Once enough buffalo are captured, they are taken back and every single one of the animals features are utilized in their own way. The stomach is used to cook in, (by heating stones in a fire and placing them in the water), the fur and hide for tipi construction and a number of clothing and garment uses, horns were used for tools such as arrows and skull for ceremonial purposes. Without the buffalo, these tribes would be arguably nonexistent.
diagram of buffalo uses
Indians hunting a herd of buffalo
A tipi built of thick sticks and buffalo hide
Family life of the plains indians
The division of labor is very interesting in Indian tribes and show their respect for equality. While men hunt and perform rituals such as the Sundance. Woman sew and repair clothing, construct tipis, carry wood to the campsite make tools, and cook, all while tending to the children.
Tipi or hut is erected specifically for the birth process. Three women assist the mother through labour. The afterbirth is wrapped in hide and buried under a young tree that is said grow up strong and healthy like the child. In many tribes, the whole village takes care of the children; the women cared for all newborns, and all elders meet to determine a name. Children’s games teach life skills.
Children usually keep a moss-filled bag along side their mother while she worked. It is made from hide or cloth and filled with dry moss and crumbled wood that absorbed a baby’s discharge, and was changed after being dirtied. A Cradle Board is a piece of board that a child in a moss bag is lashed to, and placed on the mother's back, allowing her to continue with work.
Within each nomadic group, there is a band chief who was supported if the band could catch enough game for food, and was protected from enemies. Chiefs would advise, then a council of elders would come to a decision. Generally the leader is wise and patient or showed other qualities of leadership, or had a good deal of wealth.
Public shame is the form of punishment or discipline. When food was scarce, bands would split into even smaller groups and go separate ways. The leaders are often prophets, Elders, valiant warriors, or wealthy persons and they each perform specific duties.