Another Life, Another World

The invention of the camera was still in its early infancy in the late 1800's, making it a cumbersome and difficult instrument to transport and use. Added to which the Native Americans of that time had little understanding of photography, and much less trust in the White Man, one must remember that nearly all of the black and white images of that era that we see today were staged, the subject had to sit patiently so that the image did not become blurred by sudden movement.

The group above is a fine example of a staged photograph, these three Native of Turtle Island sitting out on the great plains dressed in their finest, hardly an everyday occurrence. From the photograph we can see the finely made clothing that they wore, and the endless land upon which they sat, this depiction however is much more impressive than that of the images of blood thirsty savages that the press so often drew and depicted at the time.

This photograph of a woman cooking was also carefully posed for. However from it we can see the structure that she has built upon which she has hung buffalo meat to dry. The pots upon the fire in which she cooks her meals to feed her family show that trade with the white man was not all about guns and bullets. Wild plants such as onions, potatoes, turnips, strawberries, gooseberries, grapes, plums and red prickly pears were also used to feed her family, showing that a healthy diet was important to the plains tribes. The main stable of their diet however was the Tatanka, buffalo.

The women were integrally involved in the construction of their dwellings. Plains women were the sole designers, makers and erectors of tipis, originally crafted from buffalo hides, and later, canvas.

In the photograph we see the women erecting the poles for the tipi

Moving camp required a carrier (“travois”) that would hold the long tipi poles and heavy hides. Women organized the camp moves, which included packing and pulling the travois. Before the introduction of the horse dogs would have pulled the travois.

Wickiups were bent-tree-limb structures covered with brush. Paiute, Crow and Apache used these structures when not “on the move.” When following the buffalo, these tribes lived under the sun and stars. Wickiups and tipis were easily erected and dismantled.

A Ute woman performs the final steps in erecting her tipi.

Village Life

Summer Camp

Like other Nations, many Lakota bands would come together in the summer and engage in group activities including political council meetings, religious ceremonies like the Sun Dance, sporting events, marriages, and coming-of-age ceremonies. Summers were a special opportunity to see family members who were members of other bands.

Winter Camp

Winter camp was usually made along the southern edge of the Black Hills region.  The Lakota obtained fast horses in the mid 1700s and they were renowned as being excellent riders. The large amount of horses they owned, combined with their remarkable horsemanship, resulted in their ability to travel longer distances than any of the other Dakota groups. It was only during the winter did they cease to follow the great buffalo herds.

Smaller Tribal Camp

When following the buffalo herds the plains tribes this in smaller bands. These band were forever changing, marriage meant that sometimes the band would grow as the husband or wife joined, or grow smaller as the men or women left to join another band. Captured women from enemy tribes would eventually join the band and become a full member. Because these bands were small a death amongst them, whether in battle, through injury hunting the buffalo, or through natural causes, would have a profound impact upon them all.

Protecting the People

Even before the arrival of the white man, tribes would take precautions from surprise attacks. When in the village most of the able bodied warriors would keep a special horse, which was fast and used to combat, close to their tipi in case of an attack by an enemy tribe. Look outs were posted, and if the tribe was on the move, flankers would protect them.

Look out party

Sentinel

Raiding and War Parties

Native warfare was a highly ritualized activity that included particular behaviour, dress, and preparation. Rituals varied according to tribal traditions, history, technology, environment, and values. Some tribes placed greater emphasis than others on warfare. For example, most peoples of the Great Basin and Arctic lacked the political and military organization associated with true warfare. In the Great Plains, Northeast, and Southeast, on the other hand, warfare was a more integral part of the culture. However, even in these areas, conflicts between whole tribes were rare before the European demand for furs created economic competition.

Crow Raiding Party

Warfare between tribes was fairly common practice before European contact, although some tribes were more warlike than others. There were various causes of warfare. Most commonly, tribes fought over territory. Tribes that did not have enough farmland or hunting territory to feed their people might attack a neighbouring tribe to gain more territory and avert food shortages. Revenge was another reason for warfare. Tribes might attack another tribe to avenge tribal members who died in a previous conflict. Among tribes with a strong sense of ethnic superiority and invincibility, hostilities could be easily ignited by ethnic insults from members of another tribe. To avenge those insults, the tribe went to war.

Lakota Raiding Party

Once Europeans arrived in North America, power relations changed among tribes. Some tribes allied themselves with Europeans to fight old tribal enemies and to improve their own chances of survival. The acquisition of superior European weaponry or horses gave some tribes an immediate advantage over others. After the five nations of the Iroquois Confederacy and several Algonquian tribes in Canada acquired European guns, they were able to seize great stretches of the Northeast from tribes that did not possess firearms. The desire for European goods or horses could also lead to warfare; some Indians captured members of rival tribes and sold them as slaves to Spanish settlements in exchange for horses.

War Party

Natives distinguished between raiding and warfare. The purpose of raiding was to find and bring home enemy property, such as horses, cattle, and sheep (all acquired after European arrival) or other food sources. Usually 5 to 15 men made the foray into enemy territory. Their goal was to retrieve as much as possible without any loss or injury to those in the raiding party. Stealth was essential to avoid capture. Raiders usually worked under cover of darkness, and they moved as quickly and quietly as possible while in enemy territory.

Discussing tactics

Warfare, in contrast, involved all the available men in the tribe or band; the men might even send out messages to members of other bands to join them. As in raiding, scouts were sent out in advance to locate the enemy. Based on this information, the men tried to fully surround their target without the enemy’s knowledge, then attack with surprise. Another tactic was to lure enemies into pursuit so that a larger group could surround them and attack. While raiding and warfare tactics were similar, their goals were quite different. Raiding was done without disturbing enemies to acquire goods, whereas warfare involved the full engagement of enemies and, generally, the slaying of as many of them as possible.

Ready for Battle Lakota Warriors