The Importance of Horses

What was the importance of horses to Native American tribes?

Horses were essential to the Plains tribes, because they helped them move around and hunt buffalo. Horses also demonstrated wealth and status.

How many horses might a Native American tribe have?

The number of horses a tribe had varied. They were a symbol of wealth, and were used as currency.

• ❖ In the 1870s, the Comanche had almost 8,000 horses, and 3,000 people.
• ❖ In the 1870s the Hunkpapa, one of the sub-tribes of the Sioux, had 3,500 horses and 2,900 people.