Moving Camp

Moving camp was mostly the responsibility of the women. They took down the niitoy-yiss (tipis), packed everything and loaded the travois, harnessed the dogs and horses and led them to the next camping place. The men always scouted ahead, ensuring that the route was safe.

Moving with a Travois

We moved our camps often to collect the plants that grew in different parts of our territory and to hunt animals, such as buffalo, that moved all around. Although the prairies appear flat, they include many rolling hills. The travois loads were unstable when going up or down hills and would easily tip. Our trails wove across the rolling plains, leading to river crossings.

Crossing Rivers

Many rivers had shallow ridges running under the surface of the water that made corssing easier and safer. Our trails linked these ridges in a complex pattern across the landscape.