Plains Indian Rituals and Visons

While some of the rituals of the Plains Indians were celebrations somewhat reserved in our traditions such as the Mandan Indians' celebration of the harvest with the corn dance - symbolic cornstalks, ears of corn and food bowls - most of the rituals of these tribes was quite brutal to us.

Torture played a major role in many rituals of the Plains Indians.  The vision quest, common to all Plains tribes was particularly important.  It was through a regiment of self denial and torture that a young man made contact with his personal protector from the spirit world by calling him forth in a vision.

The spirit usually appeared in the form of an animal or a bird - the buffalo, elk, bear and eagle were common, but even mice and mosquitoes might appear.  Such conjuring was vital to the brave's success when he hunted buffalo, the primary staple of all Plains Indians.

Before the arrival of the horse in the 17th century, Plains Indians lived on corn and a few buffalo which they could kill on foot.  Warriors (and sometimes squaws) would stampede the buffalo, driving them over the cliffs.  Other times, covered in wolf skins, they would sneak up on the herds with bow and arrow range, and with luck kill a few before the herd stampeded off. 

Next time...The Movie Star Indians
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On this Day in Pioneer History:  On April 21, 1895, Woodville Latham and his sons, Otway and Gray, demonstrate their “Panopticon,” the first movie projector developed in the United States.