In the beginning, native peoples occupied the lands that would one day become the United States of America. How they arrived there is the subject of discussion among experts. They came more than 20,000 years ago, and by 1492 AD, they had established patterns of society. Those of the Northeastern woods, known as the Five Nations, had established dominion over an area running from Maine to Kansas to South Carolina. The Indians of the Plains had each carved out their own territories, which they maintained by peaceful resolutions with each other. The people of the Southwest, in Arizona and New Mexico had two cultures, one nomadic and one for farming. There is no history of war, battle, even fighting during this point in history, among these people. Then the white man arrived. European settlers took over the Indian land like an unexpected plague. They found the Native Americans to be savages, in need of learning and dignity and unsuitable to live among, so they began pushing the Indians west, making room for the settlers coming in from overseas. Among those that were being pushed out of their homes, were the Iroquois of the Northeast and the Plains Indians of the West, and they reacted .
Plains Indians.
-The Sioux- Made famous in the film "Dances With Wolves", the Sioux, meaning a large group of Native Americans speaking the same language, were the dominant tribe in the high plains of America. They were often divided into three groups; the Lakota, the Cheyenne and the Oglala Sioux. They were a nomadic people who hunted the buffalo that roamed the high plains. They were excellent horseman and hunters, swift and efficient. The buffalo, seen as a sacred being, provided the Sioux with food, clothing, the coverings for their teepee homes, and the raw material for many of their tools. The Sioux were a very peaceful people, yet, if occasion called for it, could become formidable warriors.
-The Cheyenne- Originally from what is now known as northern Minnesota, they had migrated to the high plains by the early 1800's and settled from the Missouri River in the North to the Arkansas River of the South, thus, dividing themselves into two groups, the Northern Cheyenne and the Southern.
