Great Plains SettlementsPeriod 1, 1491-1607Key Concept 1.1: As native populations migrated and settled across the vast expanse of North America over time,they developed distinct and increasingly complex societies by adapting to and transforming their diverseenvironments.I. Different native societies adapted to and transformed their environments through innovations in agriculture, resource use, and social structure. B) Societies responded to the aridity of the Great Basin and the grasslands of the western Great Plains by developing largely mobilelifestyles.
Definition: Tribes in the Great Plains were mostly nomadic hunters or sedentary tribes that farmed and traded. The nomadic lifestyle revolved mostly around the hunting buffalo and the use of its dead remains. Those who lived in earthen lodges grew a variety of crops from beans and squash to corn. Significance to U.S. History: The nomadic lifestyle of native tribes populated much of the Western U.S., and the continued farming would eventually lead to complete soil exhaustion in the Great Plains.
The Great Basin and the western Great Plains were environments that posed unique challenges for their inhabitants. The aridity of the Great Basin, which includes Nevada, Utah, and parts of surrounding states, made agriculture difficult if not impossible. Meanwhile, the grasslands of the western Great Plains, which stretch from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River, had limited resources for sedentary agriculture, although they were rich in game animals and bison.
In response to these challenges, native societies in the region developed largely mobile lifestyles. They became skilled at hunting, fishing, and gathering, and moved frequently in search of resources. Some groups, such as the Shoshone and Ute of the Great Basin, followed a seasonal round of hunting and gathering, moving from one area to another as food and water became available. Other groups, such as the Lakota Sioux of the Great Plains, relied on the vast herds of bison for their subsistence. They became expert horsemen and developed a sophisticated and mobile hunting culture centered around the bison.
Despite these challenges, native societies in the Great Basin and the Great Plains developed complex social structures and innovations in resource use. For example, the Comanche of the southern Great Plains became skilled at horse breeding and trading and developed a powerful empire in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Paiute of the Great Basin developed intricate water management systems, including dams and channels, to irrigate small plots of land.
In sum, the unique environments of the Great Basin and the western Great Plains shaped the societies that inhabited them. These societies developed largely mobile lifestyles and became skilled at hunting, fishing, and gathering. At the same time, they also developed complex social structures and innovations in resource use that allowed them to thrive in challenging environments.
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