Plains Indians

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Plains Indians Traditions, Customs, Spirituality
TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview Beliefs Values /
Mores Rituals Roles Children Men Women Elders Heal
th the Disabled References
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Overview

• American Indian life is centered on the four
  seasons and the natural world.
• Traditional spirituality is not a religion so
  much as it is an integral seamless part of the
  very being of Indian society.
• Native spirituality and beliefs are sacred. To
  use them in any way other than the way they were
  intended would be sacrilegious.
• Learning to live in the traditional ways is not
  easy.
• Everything hes The Great Spirit has given
  you, you have to walk through, you have to
  experience it. You cant always walk in the
  grass, sometimes you have to walk through the
  sagebrush.
• Anonymous

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Beliefs Common to Most Plains Tribes

• There is a Supreme Being, a Creator, a Great
  Spirit, God.
• Everything the Great Spirit has created is good.
• Many lesser spirits wander the earth, some
  control weather, some interact with humans, some
  inhabit the underworld.
• Plants and animals, as well as humans, are part
  of a spirit world.
• This spirit world exists side-by-side with the
  physical world and often intermingles with this
  physical world.
• Before you were conceived, before you were born,
  you had a spirit.
• When your body dies, your spirit will live on.
• Take care of Mother Earth, and Mother Earth will
  take care of you.

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Values of Most Plains Tribes
Courage Leadership Duty
Love Fortitude Respect
Generosity Responsibility
Honesty Reverence Honor
Wisdom Industry
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Rituals of Most Plains Tribes
Naming Ceremony To give person a
name Storytelling / Listening Method of
teaching Vision Quest Passage from boyhood to
manhood Pow-Wow Place to socialize with other
tribes Renewal Celebrations Sun Dance a
replay of creation Sweat Lodge for
spiritual renewal and healing Grand Medicine
Lodge Good place to learn traditions Hunting
Ceremonies to appease spirits of animals killed
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Rituals of Most Plains Tribes Daily Practices
Dwellings oriented with the doorway on the east
so a person awakened to the rising sun. The
understanding was the Creator was sending
daylight, warmth, growth and enlightenment to
each person to begin a new day. Morning Prayers
After awakening, the individual would pray,
thanking the Creator for blessings and new
opportunities. A confession of responsibility
was made to other people. Sacrifices were
given. Sacred Path Day began with man walking
reverently along a sacred path, among all living
things on earth and under the supernatural powers
dwelling in heaven.
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Traditional Roles Children
Responsibilities Seek Knowledge from
Elders Learn to be Quiet and Listen Learn by
Example Respect the Elders Learn, through play,
by practicing what they see
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Traditional Roles Men
Protectors (Warriors) Keep tribe safe Hunters
Provided for tribe Planners Conducted
Ceremonies Made items for Rituals/Ceremonies Teach
older children
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Traditional Roles Women
Process food Cook Make garments Set up camp or
take down camp Take care of young
children Planners Family ties handed down through
women
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Traditional Roles Elders
Mediators Traditionally, an elder would hear
both sides to a story and mediate to solve the
conflict. Disciplinarians Grown children often
lived with parents in an extended family
situation. The grandparents would discipline the
children, not the parents. Teachers
Grandparents were admired for their knowledge and
wisdom which they often conveyed through
stories. Leaders Because of their knowledge and
wisdom, elders often make decisions effecting the
tribe.
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Traditional Roles Elders
One Elder relates One thing I liked about the
old people is that they had Indian thinking. For
example, my mother and I were driving down the
highway and saw a stand of dying birch trees.
She asked me if I knew why they were dying. I
probably would have explained it as pollution or
some other technical explanation. She said the
birch trees are dying because no one is using
them anymore. They are sad because they no
longer have a use. Now that, I think about it,
this is kind of like the elders no one is using
them anymore. Thats what I call Indian
thinking. They would relate themselves with the
connection in nature. (Becker, Poupart,
Martinez, 2002, The Way it Was, p.
2) Anonymous
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Health and the Disabled
Traditionally being healthy and a whole person
were essential to living a good life. Some tribes
visualized health as a medicine wheel with four
parts spiritual, mental, physical,
emotional. In order to be healthy, all aspects of
the medicine wheel had to be in balance. Another
concept is that man is three-fold mind, body,
spirit. Wellness is harmony in body, mind,
spirit. Wellness (or unwellness) was (and is)
often a choice.
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Health and the Disabled (Continued)
A physical disability is irrelevant to a persons
state of wellness. Wellness can be accomplished
in a wheelchair or without a leg. If the body is
healthy, if the mind is sharp, if the individual
is following their beliefs and choosing to be in
harmony with their environment, then a physical
disability is irrelevant to wellness. How to deal
with a physical disability is not something an
Indian would think about. Instead, an Indian
would probably look at how to enhance an
individuals ability to fulfill his or her role
within the community.
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Health and the Disabled (Continued)
We are all responsible for our state of wellness
with the way we promote harmony between ourselves
and the people we meet. It is not the events that
happen to him man that create his harmony, but
his response to those happenings. Every human
chooses the responses he makes, and thus in this
way, he chooses whether or not to be in harmony.
Being able to stand firm in his harmony is a
priceless accomplishment for the Indian, for it
means the disruptions of the world cannot affect
him. (Locust, 1985, p. 11)
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Health and the Disabled (Continued)
This state of harmony is like a protective shield
keeping us from dangers inherent in negative or
disharmonious situations. In the Indian belief,
it is each persons responsibility to keep this
protective shield strong and beautiful, not
only for his own well-being, but for the
well-being of the tribe. (Locust, 1985, p.
17) When looking for ways to help disabled people
on a reservation ask, What can we do to help our
people fulfill their roles within the community?
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Traditional Leaders
They cared about people, not just family, but the
whole tribe. They respected the people around
them. They served the people. The leaders often
would not eat until everyone else in the tribe
had eaten. They were honest. They did not
lie. They were courageous. They dared to do what
needed to be done. They were not afraid to face
reality and define problems.
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Summary
This presentation summarizes some of the ideals,
beliefs, and values of traditional Indian ways
(ways before the Europeans colonized
America). These are the values we need to hold on
to if we wish to remain Indian people. These are
the values we must build upon if we wish to grow
as Indian people. These are the values we must
spread to our non-Indian brothers and sisters if
America is going to grow as a country.
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Overview of Methods Sources

• NOTES
• One of the references used to prepare this
  presentation consisted of a research project
  (Becker, Poupart, Martinez, 2002).
• The purpose of the project was to reflect on
  traditional American Indian ways.
• To achieve this objective, several elders were
  interviewed.
• Elders represented Ojibwe, Lakota, Dakota, and
  Ho-Chunk nations.
• Both men and women, born during World War II,
  participated.
• Participants chose to remain anonymous.
• When a quote from one of these elders is used in
  this presentation, the quote will be marked
  Anonymous. Thank You!

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References
Becker, T., Poupart, J., Martinez, C. (2002).
Reflections on Traditional American Indian Ways.
St. Paul, MN American Indian Policy Center.
Retrieved February 27, 2007 from American Indian
Policy Center Web site, http//www.airpi.org/resea
rch/reflect.html Clay, J. A. (1992). Native
American Independent Living. Rural Special
Educatin Quarterly, 11(1), 41-50. Retrieved
March 14, 2007 from http//rtc.ruralinstitute.umt.
edu/Indian/NativeIL.htm
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References (Continued)
Danielson, R. Fassinger, P. (2007, January).
A Focus on American Indian Children. Inform
5(1). Retrieved March 14, 2007 from North Dakota
Kids Count Web site at http//www.ndkidscount.or
g/publications/inform/5_1Inform.pdf Giannetta,
J. (2002, June). The Plains Indians Family
Life, The Children, Duties. Retrieved March 31,
2007 from SaskSchools.ca website
http//www.saskschools.ca/gregory/firstnations/fa
mily.html
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References (Continued)
Locust, C. C. (1985). American Indian beliefs
concerning health and unwellness. Tucson, AZ
Native American Research and Training Center,
University of Arizona. U. S. Congress (1989). A
report of the special committee on investigatins
of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs of the
United States Senate. Washington, DC U.S.
Government Printing Office. Mails, T. E. (1998).
Dog Soldier Societies of the Plains. New York,
NY Marlowe Company, Chapter 1. Merriam-Webster
s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition
(Electronic Version). (1995). Dallas, TX Zane
Publishing, Inc. in cooperation with
Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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References (Continued)
Robinson, B. A. (2006, December 19). Native
American Spirituality. Retrieved January 31,
2007 from RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE.ORG, Ontario
Consultants on Religious Tolerance, Web site
http//www.religioustolerance.org/nataspir.htm Wil
liams, R. (2003, November 20). Pride in Indian
Culture, Heritage Resurging, Says Old Elk.
Retrieved January 31, 2007 from United States
Department of Defense, American Forces
Information Service, News Articles, Web site
http//www.defenselink.mil/ news/Nov2003/n11202003
_200311203.html