The American Indian view of holding land was very different from that of the European settlers that would cross the Great Plains. In this video students will meet the tribes that followed the American buffalo and understand how their nomadic way of life was changed by land ownership. They will understand how treaties affected land use and the ability to survive of many tribes of American Indians. The concept of tribal sovereignty is also introduced. Students will see the poverty of the Pine Ridge Reservation, but be inspired by the amazing contributions of Billy Mills, who was born on that reservation and became the first American Olympic Gold Medal Winner in a distance race.
Enjoy this brief introduction to Native Americans on the Plains through folk tales, where they lived, how they lived with each other and how they live today.