USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Long before the acquisition of the horse, Plains Indians hunted bison on foot. For the Plains Indians, hunting was a way of life and they developed numerous solitary and communal hunting techniques. The buffalo jump and the buffalo impound commonly represent two primary group hunting methods used by the Plains Indians.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Plains Indians who did travel constantly to find food hunted large animals such as bison (buffalo), deer and elk. They also gathered wild fruits, vegetables and grains on the prairie. They lived in tipis, and used horses for hunting, fighting and carrying their goods when they moved.

Detailed explanation-3: -The bison provided them with meat for food, hides for clothing and shelter, and horns and bones for tools. They would even use the bladder to hold water. For the Plains Indians, bison equaled survival.

Detailed explanation-4: -The buffalo hunt was the means by which Plains and Métis peoples acquired their primary food resource until the collapse of the buffalo, or bison, herds in the 1880s. The hunt was crucial to sustaining the fur trade activity that precipitated and supported European settlement.