Artistic Crafts, Carvings, Baskets, Beadwork, Mats, Tools, Designs - Plateau Native Americans in Olden Times for Kids (original) (raw)

Carvings, Beadwork: There were many wonderful artists, both men and women, among the people of the Plateau. Artists carved sculptures of people and animals using stone, shell, wood, feathers, fur, and hides. They painted much of their work with brightly colored dyes made from various plants.

Baskets and Mats: Materials for basket weaving were collected spring, summer, and fall. Baskets and mats were woven in the winter months. The baskets of the people of the Plateau are recognized as among the best in the North America. They wove grasses and brush to make just about everything they used including summer homes, clothing, and water-tight containers used as cooking pots. To make a basket, they had to soak roots and twigs. Then they peeled, split and dyed the material and then wove it together. In the winter, they also wove mats, nets, and blankets. They also made bags, many different kinds of bags for various purposes. Bags were made to be useful and beautiful.

Designs tell a story: Much of their art was designed to tell a story. Certain designs meant certain things � for example, a blue square meant a lake, a blue circle meant clouds, a red line meant the earth, red dots meant stars, and a red cross referred to the sun. The above beanbag was made after the introduction of thehorse. It signified that great distance was traveled to gather and fill the bag with special leaves and materials to make other goods. The people of the Plateau loved beauty and color. They used their artistic talent to make practical things both beautiful and meaningful.

Tools and Weapons: The men of the Plateau made a wide variety of tools and weapons. They used a wide variety of materials including wood, shell, stone, bone, antlers, bark, and plant fibers. They used spoons to eat food and carved them from bone or sheets. Stones were used to hold heat for cooking. Granite was banged into hammers. Arrowheads and spear points were made of stone. Stone knives were important. They had very sharp blades. And they made bows and arrows. They made nets for fishing. They made fishing spears.

Clothing, Hats, Headdresses, and Jewelry

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Native American Stories, Myths and Legends

Native Americans for Kids

Native Americans in US, Canada, and the Far North

Early people of North America (during the ice age 40,000 years ago)

Northeast Woodland Tribes and Nations - The Northeast Woodlands include all five great lakes as well as the Finger Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River. Come explore the 3 sisters, longhouses, village life, the League of Nations, sacred trees, snowsnake games, wampum, the arrowmaker, dream catchers, night messages, the game of sep and more. Special Sections:Iroquois Nation,Ojibwa/Chippewa,The Lenape Indians. Read two myths: Wise Owl andThe Invisible Warrior.

Southeast Woodland Tribes and Nations - The Indians of the Southeast were considered members of the Woodland Indians. The people believed in many deities, and prayed in song and dance for guidance. Explore the darkening land, battle techniques, clans and marriage, law and order, and more. Travel the Trail of Tears. Meet theMuscogee (Creek),Chickasaw,Choctaw,Mississippians,Seminole Indians and Cherokee Indians.

Plains Indians - What was life like in what is now the Great Plains region of the United States? Some tribes wandered the plains in search of foods. Others settled down and grew crops. They spoke different languages. Why was the buffalo so important? What different did horses make? What was coup counting? Who was Clever Coyote? Meet theBlackfoot,Cheyenne,Comanche,Pawnee, andSioux Nation.

Southwest Indians - Pueblo is not the name of a tribe. It is a Spanish word for village. The Pueblo People are the decedents of theAnasazi People. The Navajo and the Apache arrived in the southwest in the 1300s. They both raided the peacefulPueblo tribes for food and other goods. Who were the Devil Dancers? Why are blue stones important? What is a wickiup? Who was Child of Water?

Pacific Coastal Northwest Indians - What made some of the Pacific Northwest Indian tribes "rich" in ancient times? Why were woven mats so important? How did totem poles get started? What was life like in the longhouse? What were money blankets and coppers? How did the fur trade work? How did Raven Steal Crow's Potlatch?

Inland Plateau People - About 10,000 years ago, different tribes of Indians settled in the Northwest Inland Plateau region of the United States and Canada, located between two huge mountain ranges - the Rockies and the Cascades. The Plateau stretches from BC British Columbia all the way down to nearly Texas. Each village was independent, and each had a democratic system of government. They were deeply religious and believed spirits could be found everything - in both living and non-living things. Meet theNez Perce

California Indians - The Far West was a land of great diversity. Death Valley and Mount Whitney are the highest and lowest points in the United States. They are within sight of each other. Tribes living in what would become California were as different as their landscape.