20 



INDIANS OF THE PLAINS 



Southwest Pavilion 

 INDIANS OF THE PLAINS 



The collections from the Indians of the Plains will be found in the hall 

 adjoining. These Indians comprised the tribes living west of the Missis- 

 sippi and east of the Rocky Mountains as far south as the valley of the Rio 

 Grande and as far north as the Saskatchewan. (See map on south wall.) 



On the left side of the entrance, against the wall, is a special exhibit 

 of life casts and photographs of typical Plains Indians, with tables and 

 charts explaining their chief racial characteristics. 



Occupying the greater part of the hall beginning on the left are the 

 buffalo-hunting tribes: the Plains-Cree, Dakota, Crow, Blackfoot, 

 Indians of Gros Ventre, Arapaho and Cheyenne. These tribes did 

 the Plains not practise agriculture but depended almost entirely on the 

 buffalo; buffalo flesh was their chief food, and of buffalo skin they made 

 their garments. In some cases a buffalo paunch was used for cooking, 

 and buffalo horns were made into various implements of industry and 

 war. The spirit of the buffalo was considered a powerful ally and invoked 



4 A ^lA V / 



A DOG FEAST OF THE SIOUX 



Given in honor of Mr. Sanford, Pierre Choteau and Catlin. 

 Collection of paintings 



From the Catlin 



to cure sickness, to ward off evil, and to give aid in the hunt. Whenever 

 the buffalo herds led the way, the more nomadic Plains tribes moved their 

 tents and followed. With the extermination of the buffalo the entire 

 life of the Plains Indians was revolutionized. 



On the right, near the entrance, are the village tribes of the Plains; 

 the Mandan with whom Lewis and Clark passed the winter of 1804-1805, 

 the Hidatsa who now live with them, and the Omaha, Kansa, Iowa 



