Native Americans: Sioux

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Native Americans Sioux

• The Role of The Buffalo

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Why was the buffalo so important?
The Buffalo is really named The American Bison.
However we will continue to call it Buffalo as
that is its common name.
The Plains
The Woodlands
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• The buffalo wandered the Great
• Plains in vast herds. Bull buffalos
• (males) weighed more than one
• tonne and stood over 1.5 metres tall
• at the shoulders. The cows (females)
• were smaller but they had better
• meat. Buffalos ran very fast and
• had a good sense of smell but bad
• eyesight.

The Sioux Indians followed the herds of buffalo.
Historians estimate that in 1800 there were about
60 million buffalo. The Indians used to hunt the
buffalo first on foot and then using horses. They
never killed more than they needed. They used
every part of the buffalo, nothing was wasted.
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Why was the buffalo so important?

• Many of the Plains Nations originally came
• from the Woodlands. In the Woodlands, Native
• American life was based on hunting the buffalo
• and simple farming. Most of the Plains was
• unsuitable for farming as they didnt have the
• tools to use on the difficult Plains soils.

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What was the buffalo used for?
Other parts tools Shoulder blades - hoes Hair -
ropes and pillows Fat - soap Bones - knives,
dice, paint brushes Tongue - hairbrush

• Meat / Organs food
• Flesh - boiled, roasted or dried
• Brain, nose, gristle and tongue - eaten raw
• Kidneys and liver eaten raw
• Hide clothing
• shelter
• Tipi covering, leggings,
• shirts, dresses, winter
• robes, shoes, shields, knife
• sheaths, quivers for arrows
• Other parts tools
• Shoulder blades - hoes
• Hair - ropes and pillows
• Fat - soap
• Bones - knives, dice, paint
• brushes
• Tongue - hairbrush

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