How War Like Were The Sioux?

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          When fighting the Sioux warriors were armed with bow and arrows made with a wooden frame reinforced by sinew from a buffalo and a bowstring made from twisted sinew. The arrows were all tipped with stone or iron, they are held in a decorated quiver which could hold about 20 arrows at a time. They may also have a lance 4 or 5 metres in length and had a polished steel blade on the end of it. The lance was normally decorated with things like beadwork, buffalo fur and feathers. They sometimes had rifles; these were introduced to the Plains by travellers and settlers from the East. The Plains Indians sometimes acquired one through trading or fighting with non-Indians or other Indian nations such as the ’Cheyenne ’the ’Pawnee’ and the ’Crow’. For protection they carried shields made from the skin off a buffalo’s neck, hardened by steam, smoke and buffalo hoof glue to make it arrow proof and they can be decorated with magical symbols which they believe will protect them in battle.They would ride into battle on horseback, horses were very valuable to the Indians and were marked to show what band they belonged to. They might have a ‘Coup Stick’- along stick used to touch an alive enemy this was deemed even more heroic than killing an enemy for this they received praise and rewards; many of the men competed to do this the most times to earn recognition.This technique ensured a lower death toll during battle.

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           The Indians’ perception of fighting was different as well, it was not considered heroic for a warrior to die in battle they thought this was senseless because all it would achieve was bringing hardship upon the band. Instead during the battle the warriors priority would be to stay alive because in his belief it was for the good of the band and his family so he could provide for them. For Indians bravery was not merely being a warrior but a hunter and aprovider as well. For an Indian personal glory was the greatest prze ...

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