the pawnee people of the plains region

The Pawnee people of the

Plains Region.”

What region is home to the Pawnee?

Inuits

Kwakiutl

Nez Perce

HopiPAWNEE

Grand Canyon

What is the geography of the Plains region?

•Covered in grasses and plants•Few trees•Winds blow across the fields for much of the year•Flat, open land

Climate of the Plains Region

• Wide variety of weather• Hot summers• Cold winters• Plenty of wind• Often, the summer is hot and dry with little

rain.• Every five years or so, prairie fires would blaze

across large parts of the prairie land.

How did the environment affect the homes the Pawnee built?

Very few trees grow on the prairies

. Inside the earthen lodge

How did the environment affect what the Pawnee people ate?

• They were mostly farmers. • Women grew corn, beans, pumpkins,

sunflowers and squash. Native Americans called beans, corn, and squash the “Three Sisters.”

• They farmed, so they did not have to follow their food source.

What meat did they eat?• The men hunted buffalo, elk, deer, and antelope using a bow

and arrow. They only needed to hunt buffalo once or twice a year because it provided so much meat.

• When the Europeans brought horses, they started to use horses to hunt the buffalo.

The importance of the buffalo

• The buffalo meat was dried and mixed with fruit to become a food that would keep for long periods of time.

• The Indians used hides to make ropes, shields, and clothing.

• The teepee was also made from the buffalo hide• Sinew or muscle was used to make bowstrings, moccasins,

and bags. • The bones were used to make hoes and runners for dog

sleds. • The horns were made into utensils such as a spoon, cup, or

bowl. Even the hair could be made into rope.

Did they fish?• Yes, they lived near rivers, but they mostly were

farmers.• There were no horses in North America until colonists

brought them over from Europe, so the Pawnee used dogs pulling travois (a kind of drag sled) to help them carry heavy loads. travel more quickly than before.(like the Hopis)

WERE THEY Nomads??

They lived in villages of sometimes over 1000 people

How did the environment affect the Pawnee people’s clothes?

• Pawnee women wore deerskin skirts and poncho-like blouses.

• • Pawnee men wore

breechcloths and leather leggings. Men did not usually wear shirts, but warriors sometimes wore special buckskin war shirts.

• They wore moccasins on their feet

What did they wear?

• Pawnee Indian leaders sometimes wore the long warbonnets that Plains Indians are famous for.

• More often, Pawnee men shaved their heads except for a scalplock (one long lock of hair in back) and wore a porcupine roach on top.

Interesting fact

• The Pawnee went to war to prove their courage.• They their war customs included counting coup

(touching an opponent in battle without harming him), stealing an enemy's weapon or horse, or forcing the other tribe's warriors to retreat. Some tribes the Pawnees frequently fought with included the Apache, Kiowa and Sioux.