Part 5: In a Nutshell
- All of North Dakota’s Indian tribes are Plains Indians because North Dakota is on the plains.
- “Culture” is the way of life of a group of people.
- Elders are the most respected people of a tribe because they have wisdom.
- The tipi was the main home of most of the nomadic tribes and was also used by other tribes on hunting trips.
- The agricultural tribes lived in earthlodges.
- The birch-bark wigwam was the main dwelling of the Chippewa people.
- Before the arrival of the horse on the plains, dogs were used to help transport goods.
- A travois, pulled by a dog or a horse, was a frame for carrying goods.
- All of the Plains Indians depended on the bison for food.
- Pemmican was a healthful dried food that was easy for hunting parties to carry.
- After the bison were gone, most Plains Indians were forced to move to reservations so that they would not starve.
- Many styles of regalia have been handed down through the generations and are worn today for special occasions.
- Many children from reservations were forced to attend boarding schools where they were forbidden to speak their own language or dress in their own clothes.
- The Plains Indians believed in the Great Spirit.
- The Medicine Wheel is a reminder that all things are connected.
- The number “4” was special to the Plains Indians.
- The Give-Away ceremony shows the importance of generosity.
- The story of White Buffalo Calf Woman tells how the Lakota people got the sacred pipe.
- The most important religious event of the Lakota and other Plains Indians was the Sun Dance.
- A medicine bundle is given to a person at birth and is buried with that person at death.
- An eagle feather is a sacred object for American Indians.
- It is against the law for a non-Indian to possess an eagle feather.
- A powwow is a social event of getting together with friends and dancing.
- The drum is the basic musical instrument used at powwows because it is a symbol of the heartbeat of the universe.
- The whole setting of a powwow is a circle.
- The Eagle Staff is the traditional flag of American Indians.
- Descendants of Paleo-Indians, Archaic People, Woodland People, Plains Nomadic People, and Plains Village People became the modern American Indians of today.
- Life for the American Indians of North Dakota changed significantly after Euro-Americans arrived in the area.
- Members of tribes are citizens of two nations—their tribal nation and the United States.
- The warriors of today are the men and women who serve in the military.
- Veterans are shown special honor and respect.
- People who understand other cultures will treat all people with respect.
- American Indians add richness to our state in many ways and can feel very proud to be called “American Indians of North Dakota.”