The Plains Dweller

A watercolor of a time when life was simpler. Looking out at your landscape to day what do you see?  I guess I long for simpler times, when there was a 360 degree view of the horizon, the stars in the night sky were unmistakable and the day was measured by the rising and setting sun. The daily routine was determined by the seasons and family and friends remained an integral part of your life from the beginning to the end.

The Plains nomadic tribes historically survived on hunting and gathering, and the American Bison was one primary resource for items which people used for everyday life, including food, cups, decorations, crafting tools, knives, and clothing.

The tribes followed the seasonal grazing and migration of buffalo. The Plains Indians lived in teepees because they were easily disassembled and allowed the nomadic life of following game. When horses were obtained, the Plains tribes rapidly integrated them into their daily lives. People in the southwest began to acquire horses in the 16th century by trading or stealing them from Spanish colonists in New Mexico. As horse culture moved northward, the Comanche were among the first to commit to a fully mounted nomadic lifestyle. This occurred by the 1730s, when they had acquired enough horses to put all their people on horseback.