The Pawnee Tribe

There were many different Native American Tribes. Each tribe was unique, I researched the Pawnee Tribe. The meaning of the Pawnee tribes name is "men of men". They called themselves Chahiksichakihs. The Pawnee Tribe lived in the Plains region. That area is now Western Nebraska, Eastern Wyoming and Oklahoma. I chose this tribe because of its name; it reminded me of a cat.

Their region, the Plains area had vast grasslands and a lot of soil. The main river in the Plains region is the Platte River, although there were several other rivers. The Pawnee Native Americans used this water for drinking and for the irrigation of crops. The Pawnee Tribe lived their lives in an area where it was dry, cold in winter, and warm in summer. It was also breezy because of the vast grasslands and the water.

The Pawnee lived in solid earthen huts shaped circular and made from soil and timber. There homes were named earth lodges. They made the timber out of trees. The Pawnee family including parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and children lived together in one earth lodge. There were about 20-50 people living in one family.

The Pawnee usually planted crops such as corn, watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds, and many kinds of vegetables. If the crops were bad they would hunt buffalo. The Pawnee Tribe cooked their food by fire. They used their natural resources for food and water. The rivers provided their water and the crops and buffalo provided their food.

The Pawnee wore moccasin shoes with lots of colorful beads and designs. The Chiefs wore feathers on their head so they could be seen. They made robes out of buffalo. The females wore skirts in the summertime. In the winter the Pawnee wore buckskin. They dyed porcupine quills for decorating. Their clothing came from deer, buffalo, porcupine, feathers and beads. They Pawnee wore different clothing year round because the weather changed. Both mean and women would pierce their ears.

The Pawnee tribe had many customs; they made household items like bowls and spoons. The men made arrows and other weapons. A special celebration they had was the harvest festive that lasted 20 nights. The Pawnee would sing and dance at the harvest festive.

The Pawnee tribe was different than all the other Plains tribes. The Pawnee was not nomadic, which made them easy targets because they lived in permanent villages. They were basically agricultural people. The Pawnee men usually had more than one wife and the women had more than one husband. They lived in earth lodges with as many as 50 people. The Pawnee loved to dance. Chanting and music were at the center of many Pawnee festivals.

In conclusion, the environment was very important to the Pawnee tribe. Everything they depended on was from their environment like water, food and clothing. Without natural resources the Pawnee tribe would not survive. The rich Pawnee's tradition