The Plains Indians diet was mostly meat. They also ate many wild fruits, nuts, and berries, wild turnips, potatoes, and other roots. They added them to soups. Wild herbs were picked and use for flavoring and for medicines. Meat was not easy for the Lakota to get. Many days could pass before they could get fresh meat. Soup was a favorite food of the plains Indians. to make soup meat , bones, and water were put into a clean animal stomach or blabber. Then clean stones were heated in a fire. They got very hot. Next they put the stones into the water. That made the water boil. It got hot and cooked the meat and plants in the bladder. The hot soup would be put into bone cups to eat.
Meat was preserved by drying it. They cut the meat into thin strips. Then they hung it across sinew lines or wooden racks. It was called jerky. Jerky can last for years.
Most of the Great Plains Indian tribes did not plant crops. The Pawnees, Rees, Mandans, Hidatsas, and Plains Apaches planted crops. The Plains Indians called corn, beans, and squash "The Three Sisters." The Three Sisters were vegetables they liked to plant and eat the most. They dried them so they would last for a long time. Corn was grounded into flour. Then they made cornbread to eat.
These are some of the foods that were grown and gathered by Indians. This is not the whole list.The Plains Tribes introduced these foods corn, squash, tomatoes, turnips, green pepper, pumpkins, Great Northern beans and other kinds, acorns, sunflower, wild rice, maple syrup and sugar hazel nuts, berries, blueberries, cranberries,and strawberries.
The Buffalo was a necessity for the plains Indians. It gave the Indians over seventy different items for food, shelter, and clothing. All parts of the Buffalo were used. Nothing was wasted or thrown away. It became part of many of the ceremonies and legends with the Lakota people. Arrowheads ,tipi covers,Awls scraper,Moccasins drums,shields,Fly swatter jerky ,whips cups padding stuffing,War clubs Tongue Spoons robes,Brains Fire carriers,knives.