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First exams 2026

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Who were the Indigenous Peoples of the Plains? (Edexcel GCSE History)

Revision Note

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Natasha Smith

Written by: Natasha Smith

Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett

How were the Tribes on the Great Plains Different? - Summary

Despite sharing a common geographical region, the Indigenous tribes differed in their societies and cultures.

One significant difference among the tribes of the Great Plains was their way of living. Some tribes, such as the Sioux and Cheyenne, were nomadic hunter-gatherers. They followed the seasonal migration patterns of buffalo herds. In contrast, other tribes like the Mandan and Hidatsa were more settled farmers. They lived in permanent earth lodges along the riverbanks. They grew crops like corn, beans and squash.

Another difference was the leadership structure within each tribe. Some tribes, like the Sioux, had a political system with multiple chiefs and councils. Others, like the Pawnee, had a more centralised leadership with a single chief or council of elders.

Cultural practices and traditions also varied among the tribes. Each tribe had its own unique ceremonies, rituals and spiritual beliefs. Indigenous people passed down these customs through generations. For example, the Lakota Sioux performed the Sun Dance to renew the connection between humans and the natural world. The Cheyenne practised the ceremonial smoking of the sacred pipe as a symbol of peace and unity.

European settlers ignored or misunderstood these differences. They attempted to apply Western concepts of government to the Indigenous tribes. This caused the European settlers to view the Indigenous people as ‘savages’ or ‘uncivilised’.

The Tribes of the Plains

A map showing tribal regions of Indigenous groups including Blackfoot, Crow, Sioux, Cheyenne, Pawnee, Arapaho, Comanche, Wichita, and Kiowas, within the central United States.
A map showing the different Indigenous tribes that lived in the Great Plains
  • Hundreds of tribes lived in the Great Plains

    • The Sioux Nation was the largest tribe on the Great Plains

      • The Sioux were split up into different groups like the Santee Sioux

    • Some tribes were fierce enemies like the Pawnee and the Sioux

    • Tribes made alliances with each other

      • They would often break their alliances due to the interference of European settlers

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Edexcel does not expect you to know every tribe in the Great Plains. In your exam questions, ensure you have one or two names of Indigenous tribes. The Sioux were the biggest tribe and were the easiest to remember.

The Tribal Structure of the Plains

  • Each tribe had a slightly different way of structuring their society, depending on:

    • The size of the tribe

    • The tribal leader

    • The tribe’s unique set of values and beliefs

Tribal Structure of the Sioux

A flow chart showing how the Sioux were structured
A flow chart showing how the Sioux were structured

Chiefs in the Great Plains

  • The leaders of the Indigenous people in America were called chiefs

  • Chiefs were:

    • Always men

    • Spiritual leaders

    • Negotiated with other tribes and Europeans 

  • Each band had a band chief

    • They were chosen to protect the band from danger

Famous Tribal Chiefs

A photograph of an Indigenous man, Red Cloud, seated, holding a peace pipe, wearing traditional clothing with fringe details and a feather in his hair, with a scenic landscape backdrop.
A photograph of Red Cloud, the Oglala chief (a sub-tribe of the Dakota Sioux)
A photograph of an Indiengous chief, Sitting Bull, with long braids, wearing traditional attire and a single feather in his hair, gazes directly into the camera.
A photograph of Sitting Bull, the Hunkpapa chief (a sub-tribe of the Lakota Sioux)
A black and white sketch of an Indigenous person called Crazy Horses. The drawing shows his face with long hair and a feathered headdress, featuring detailed and textured shading emphasizing facial features and expression.
A drawing of Crazy Horse, a respected war leader of the Oglala Sioux

Tribal Councils

  • Band chiefs and elders formed tribal councils

  • Councils could have a range of responsibilities, for example:

    • Declaring war

    • Negotiating peace treaties

    • Listening to the advice of the spiritual chief

  • Every member of the council had equal power

    • Every decision made had to have the agreement of all members

Warrior Brotherhoods

  • Each tribe had several warrior brotherhoods

    • Young men created armed groups to fight and protect their community from other tribes

    • Warrior brotherhoods had a strong belief in their tribe’s values and customs

  • Warrior brotherhoods fought with other tribes to prove their bravery and skills

  • Tribal chiefs chose key members from each warrior brotherhood to:

    • Form a guard unit for the whole tribe

    • Organise the yearly buffalo hunt

    • Hunt for food to feed elderly and ill tribal members

Why did the Tribal System Cause Issues with European Settlers?

Aspect of tribal structure

Why did these cause issues with European settlers?

Tribes could have multiple chiefs

Europeans were used to a society only having one leader. They did not know who to negotiate with

Chiefs were rarely chiefs for life

Europeans could sign a treaty with one tribal chief and the next tribal chief could ignore the agreement 

Bands and warrior brotherhoods did not have to follow the orders of the chief

Tribal members may not respect the treaties that chiefs agreed with European settlers. Warrior brotherhoods sometimes attacked European settlers to protect their land and resources

Examiner Tips and Tricks

The exam assesses your knowledge of historical narrative. A narrative account will require you to place events in the correct order and explain why things happened and how important it is for causing other events to happen. 

The table above is incredibly important in understanding why there was conflict between Indigenous tribes and European settlers. There was a serious lack of understanding of culture and government, which led to repression and war.

The Importance of the Buffalo in the Plains

  • Buffalo were vital for the lives of Indigenous people because:

    • Every part of the buffalo was used by them

      • The Indigenous people deeply respected animals due to their beliefs in spirits

    • Tribes were nomadic, following the migration of the buffalo

      • Indigenous people would live in tipis, which could be dismantled quickly

    • Indigenous people developed skills in horse-riding and archery to catch the buffalo

An illustration of a bison with labels showing uses of each part: sinew, raw hide, tanned hide, tail, hair, horns, skull, tongue, fur, fat, tendons, intestines, dung, bladder, bones, hooves, ribs.
An illustration of all of the uses of the buffalo

Worked Example

Explain the importance of the buffalo to the way of life of the Indigenous tribes of America

8 marks

Partial answer:

The buffalo was incredibly important for the Indigenous tribes’ way of life because their survival depended upon it. Tribes used every part of the buffalo for resources they needed, for example, they used buffalo bladders for food bags. This was necessary as very few crops could grow on the Great Plains. Without the buffalo, the tribes would struggle for food and key resources needed to live. As a result, the Indigenous people respected the buffalo by using all parts for their survival.

Examiner Tips and Tricks

This style of question in the exam paper would be worth 8 marks. An examiner would expect you to write two paragraphs analysing the importance of an event or thing on a wider theme like the way of life of Indigenous people. Ensure your answer has a chain of impacts in each one of your paragraphs. The worked example argues that:

  1. Indigenous people used the buffalo for their survival, for example using their bladders for food storage

  2. This was necessary given how harsh the environment of the Great Plains was

  3. Without the buffalo, tribes would lack food and other key resources

  4. Therefore, the Indigenous people respected and utilised all aspects of the buffalo

These points link together to create a developed explanation as to why the buffalo was key to the way of life of Indigenous tribes in America. Attempt to make a chain of impacts when writing your own answers to this type of question.

The Beliefs of the Indigenous People of the Plains

Wakan Tanka

  • The Sioux people believed in ‘Wakan Tanka'

    • This translates to the ‘Great Spirit

  • They believed that Wakan Tanka:

    • Existed within every creature and plant

    • Guided the Sioux people on ‘vision quests’ through spirit animals

    • Communicated with Sioux people through ritual dances

    • Gave them luck through spiritual objects

  • The Wakan Tanka impacted the Sioux people's belief in the land

    • The Sioux worked with nature and did not control it

    • As a result, they believed that they did not own the land

      • Wakan Tanka gifted the land and all its resources to protect the Sioux people

    • Certain areas of land were sacred to tribes

      • For example, the Black Hills of Dakota were sacred to the Sioux

      • Holy men went to the Black Hills to seek guidance

      • Sioux dead were buried here

The Role of Women

  • Indigenous women were not seen as equal to Indigenous men

    • An example of this is that women could not become chiefs

  • Men could have more than one wife

  • Women did have a valued role in tribal society

    • They fed and clothed their families

    • They made products with buffalo hide and meat to trade with other tribes

Tribal Warfare in the Plains

  • Warfare was incredibly important for tribal society because:

    • It protected their hunting grounds

    • Tribes won horses and other key resources

    • It kept young men under control and gave them honour

    • It unified the tribe

  • Men were trained from a young age to fight

  • Tribal leaders valued young men in society

    • No tribe could afford to lose too many men in fights

  • Tribes developed warfare methods that limited casualties

    • Real honour came not from killing but from counting coup

      • This was getting close enough to an enemy, while alive, to touch him with a special stick

    • Raids of other tribes would only take place if they had a good chance of succeeding

    • Only selected brotherhoods would go on raids

  • In extreme cases, tribal warfare was brutal

    • Young warriors took scalps as trophies for their achievements in battle

      • Warriors displayed them on their tipis

      • The removed scalp ensured that his enemy's spirit could not take revenge in the afterlife

    • European settlers were horrified by the Indigenous way of warfare

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Natasha Smith

Author: Natasha Smith

Expertise: History Content Creator

After graduating with a degree in history, Natasha gained her PGCE at Keele University. With more than 10 years of teaching experience, Natasha taught history at both GCSE and A Level. Natasha's specialism is modern world history. As an educator, Natasha channels this passion into her work, aiming to instil in students the same love for history that has fuelled her own curiosity.

Bridgette Barrett

Author: Bridgette Barrett

Expertise: Geography Lead

After graduating with a degree in Geography, Bridgette completed a PGCE over 25 years ago. She later gained an MA Learning, Technology and Education from the University of Nottingham focussing on online learning. At a time when the study of geography has never been more important, Bridgette is passionate about creating content which supports students in achieving their potential in geography and builds their confidence.