Northern Plains - Assiniboine/Sioux Tribes


I’ve always been fascinated with Native American culture. I chose to highlight the tribes of the Plains. During the early part of 1600 and much of the1800,  both the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes migrated from Canada to Montana and Dakota. After they settled in the Plains, they found an abundance of wildlife in the region (https://americanindian.si.edu/sites/1/files/pdf/education/NMAI_lifeinbeads.pdf). It wasn’t a surprise to read that nature was important to the tribes, which is expressed in their clothing style. Every part of an animal was used for food and clothing.  The Assiniboine/Sioux women were known to make garments with ornamented beads, from shells and porcupine quills. 
I was surprised to know that porcupines quills were used to make the beautifully detailed ornaments.

Every garment worn played an important role. The Assiniboine/Sioux tribes were admired for their elaborate clothing. Great details went into the preparation of the garments, which represent each wearer (https://americanindian.si.edu/sites/1/files/pdf/education/NMAI_lifeinbeads.pdf. The attires worn by the men were decorated with beads and painting to describe in details of war. This was done by the men.

The tribes depended on hunting animals for meat and clothing. The native tribes would offer prayers of thanks to nature for the animals they kill for food. This was their way of asking for blessings. In some tribes, this practice is still observed. Today, many tribes do not hunt game as they used to, however, they still offer prayers for a bountiful harvest.

As I scrolled through the pictures of the native tribes of the Plains, I'm amazed at the details. I have great admiration for their clothing. The quillwork was flawlessly done. Especially during a time when they had limited resources. What fascinated me the most, it was not created for entertainment purposes, it was their way of life. 


Reference 

Smithsonian
National Museum of The American Indian 
https://americanindian.si.edu/sites/1/files/pdf/education/NMAI_lifeinbeads.pdf

Comments

  1. Richard MitchellOctober 6, 2019 at 6:38 PM

    The porcupine quills used for making clothing and ornaments is very interesting. How did they get the quills. Did they hunt the porcupine?
    I think you will find that many Native Americans, especially those living on native lands and reservations, still hunt and fish to provide food for their families. That is one reason that we often find Native American tribes at odds with state and local governments over fishing and hunting rights.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janice VassellOctober 9, 2019 at 8:29 PM

      I was surprised when I read it. I asked myself that question, but I thought about it, If they can hunt Buffalos, what's a little porcupine?
      I read that they were trapped and killed for the quills. Especially younger porcupines, which were easier to kill.

      I would think that if the natives are on their own self govern reservation, the U.S. government should not have a a right to tell them what to do on their own lands.

      Delete
    2. JM599October 11, 2019 at 3:38 PM

      Thank you for your report on this tribe and their way of life. I thought it was really interesting how they used porcupine quills as part of their clothing. I also found it fascinating that they used all parts of the animal in some form, when they killed it. As far as hunting, I know here in NY the natives on the reservations are allowed to hunt whenever they want as long as it is on the reservation.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

National Museum of the American Indian

Image
This week I’m highlighting the National Museum of the American Indian. This museum is located in Battery Park, New York City. Here you will find information involving the indigenous people of America pre and post European contact, as well as the history and culture and the impact they made in the western civilization. Clothing was important in many natives tribes. They used skin and fur of animals hunted to design their clothing and other household needs. Intricate details went into each preparation. They tell a story.  For many tribes, the men kill the animal and the women prepared the clothing. The museum displays many tribes and their environment. Many tribes located in different regions in search of resources.  Tribes of the plains, Lakota, Cheyenne, Ojibwe, Arapaho, traveled to the Plains because there was an abundance of Buffalos.  Tribes in the Arctic Circle, The Inuit, Yupik, and Aleut, migrated to Alaska and Canada for fishing and hunting of pol...
Read more

A Conversation with Vine Deloria Jr.

                I watched with fascination the “Interview with Vine Deloria Jr.”   I have read some of Mr. Deloria’s writing in the past, but have never seen or heard him.   Being from the old white male population, I have my opinions of Native American relations with the United States that may not coincide with those of Native Americans.   I have long believed that many Native nations and their people were treated poorly at best by our nation over the last few centuries, but I also believe that there has been ample time and ability to make needed changes on both sides.   Although I don’t agree with Mr. Deloria on every point that he makes in this video, he did make me more aware of the inability of Native Americans to be heard and tell their story.                 The first thing that caught my attention was the...
Read more

Native Tribes of the Northeast

As I read Treuer's book, Atlas of Indians Nations, I became intrigued by the tribes of the Northeast. I wanted to learn much as I can but the native’s location and the relationship with the European and American settlers.  It’s known that the island of Manhattan was sold to the settlers, but what about the other areas? I’ve traveled to towns on Long Island, New York and it was interesting to learn that some downs in still hold their tribal names. Towns such as Massapequa, Setauket, Manhasset, and Montauk. I’ve even lived in a neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY called Canarsie, which was named after the Canarsie tribe.  According to Access Genealogy, the last of the Canarsie tribe died in 1800. It wasn’t clear if they had locations in Brooklyn also, but the tribe was known to have locations on Long Island, NY. We learned in Treuer’s Atlas of Indians Nations, the majority of New York tribes spoke the Iroquoian language. Known tribe such as Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Shinnecock, and Sen...
Read more