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1. Depended on the Great Plains (grass, cattle, weather) - rode all night in storms/ awake all night/ tell time by stars/ "The vast distances of country, the days & nights of solitude were hard" |
Depended on Great Plains - "the plains Indians had found and ingenious way to live...which fitted in with their environment" |
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2. Nomadic (eg Long Drive/looking after cattle) - on the Open Range/ "The signal to break camp and move, simply a motion with the hat"/ Winter home was just a tent or log dugout. |
Nomadic - "during the summer months the tribe moves constantly, following the buffalo"/ signal to move chief's lodge flapping in wind/ home is the teepee. |
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3. No Ownership of Land - no fences till 1890s/ Range Rights |
No Ownership of Land - "We cannot sell this land. It was put here for us by the Great Spirit" |
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4. Food (beef) & clothing (chaps, vest, boots & saddle) - based on cattle |
Food (pemmican) & clothing (buffalo robes) - from buffalo which "supplies us with the necessities of life" |
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5. Winter a time of inaction - "men lounge listlessly about the house" |
Life with times of inaction - "As I passed & saw them sitting around the doors of their lodges..."/ craft hobbies |
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6. Round up was a community event - "Everyone sends one or more representatives... The smallest owners club together...our whole party rides down pushing the cattle" - "Thoroughly drilled regarding their places & duties" (boss/point/swing/etc. |
Hunting was a Community event - "The soldier band went first...After them came the hunters. The people came in the rear...Perhaps there are old...you shall help then" - 'Dog soldiers' "cared" for the buffalo: "Kept order and everybody had to obey" |
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7. Cared for the Cattle - "They guard those cattle at all times"/line camps to stop them perishing "on the flat bare plains"/bog riding |
Cared for the Buffalo/ Nature etc. - asked permission of tree before cut roots/ only take what needed/ animal ‘friend’ |
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8. No attempt to cultivate the land |
No attempt to cultivate the land |
DIFFERENCES
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1. Cultivating cattle to sell at market - Goodnight only began drives after Civil War because of high profits. Cattlemen wanted profit, or to "see the elephant" in Dodge ("the town was full of wild women...I lapped up tiger milk at the saloons") |
Subsistence living - "the buffalo supplies us with the necessities of life". Took from Nature (with which they felt a kinship) only what was needed. Community sharing of buffalo meat- an honour to feed the poor. |
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2. Tried to control the environment where possible - line camps because "we strongly object to them drifting" in winter/ migration on long drive was controlled: cattle go where trailers made them/even in stampede where "there was nothing to do but run with them...and turn them into a tight mill when you got the chance" |
Adapted to the environment - followed the buffalo/ when the buffalo didn't arrive Mandan Buffalo Dance "until the buffalo come...thanks to the Great Spirit" |
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3. Owned the Cattle and Branded them - "Whenever he sees an animal bearing one of our brands he runs it out" |
No ownership - "We cannot sell the lives of men and animals"/ - "Kinship with all creatures...a real & active belief" |
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4. Very possessive of his 'hoss' - "to set a man afoot by stealin his hoss carried a penalty of death" & saddle ("the cowboy’s throne") |
Horse stealing was considered “one of the finest feats of war."/ gambling on horses usual. |
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5. Strict rules against fighting, gambling, and drinking |
No enforcement of laws - "In such a close community rigid rules about behaviour were unnecessary". Worst punishment exclusion. - Skills of war were encouraged in their sports to improve hunting skills/ Warfare a key activity to earn respect |
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6. Clothes ”for comfort and convenience" |
Clothes highly decorated with beads, quills & feathers |