Q2 The Indians adapted well to the conditions on the great plains.
a) Breafly describe the main features of the great plains.
The main features of the great plains are that they are vast and flat so they are very easy to travel along when they decide to move to a different destination. Also, the plains are home to millions of buffalo, which is used for pretty much everything in the life of the indians. Things such as the tipi is made from the buffalo skin and wood, which is sustainable in the plains. Also, knives were made from sharpened buffalo bones and even the tounge was used as a hairbrush. The plains lacked in clean water and the land was not suitable to grow crops, so white people said it was unhabitable.
b) Explain why the plains Indians lived in tipis.
The plains indians lived in tipis because they were made from sustainable materials, like wood and buffalo skin. Also, the flap in the top of the tipis lets the smoke from the fire out so it doesnt get too smokey. Also, the cylyndrical shape of the tipi makes it able to stay up in very strong winds. The plains indians also used the wooden poles at the top of the tipi to hang scalps of the people they had killed. This was a sign of strength and power. The doorway of the tipi faces east. This is a tradition that all tipi's doorways have to face eastways. The paintings on the tipis also showed a sign of strength and power which warned other tribes of the people who lived in that specific tipi.