Native Nations of the Plains

In Chapters 8, 9, and 10 of Native Nations, Bonvillain addresses native nations of the Plains. The Great Plains refers to the territories of central and western North America. The environment doesn't bode well in terms of precipitation and farming, and high temperatures plague the summer months. Some of these nations include the Arikaras, Mandans, Hidatas, Comanches, Wichitas, Kiowas, Lakota/Dakota (pictured left), etc. Of these nations, there are six different linguistic families being that of Algonkian, Athabaskan, Caddoan, Siouan, Kiowa-Tanoan, and Uto-Aztecan. Most of the indigenous Plains languages are actually still spoken today by Native Americans on the reservations.

Most people think of horses as being indigenous to North America, with the myth of the wild mustang and all that jazz, but horses were introduced by the Spanish of the southwest. The acquisition of horses forever changed how these nations lived. Among some of the most important aspects of their lives affected include transportation, concepts of social status and wealth, and rituals. The amount of horses one has became a symbol of wealth, and horses were sacrificed at the owner's death, if possible. Horses allowed these nations to migrate much easier, and the elderly and sick could retreat to riding a horse if they were unable to walk. Consequently, the egalitarian ethic was negatively impacted by this as well since a social hierarchy was created, which marginalized those who did not own horses.

Women's status changed as a result of the trade of horses and buffalo. Woman's labor was essential to trade, and a man might have become polygamous to ensure his wives prepared more hides and thus, elevating his economic status. Therefore, the notion of polygyny had nothing to do with a romanticized concept, but rather an economic stance. Westerners have a social stigma against polygny when in fact, most societies around the world practice polygamy. Most societies use the metric system too, but that's another issue. The point is, Western tradition has developed the ethnocentric notion that simply because we accept the romantic notion of monogamy and consensual love that other societies are wrong and therefore seem like chauvinist bigots. The fact is, different cultures hold different priorities - Western society centers around romantics, while many other societies center around survival and economics.