Nomadic

Many Sioux and Cheyenne communities lived a nomadic life, moving seasonally with buffalo herds. However, not everyone on the Plains lived this way. The Mandan and Hidatsa lived in more permanent riverbank settlements, growing crops such as corn, beans and squash.

Many Sioux and Cheyenne followed a nomadic way of life, moving to follow the seasonal movements of buffalo herds. By contrast, the Mandan and Hidatsa lived in permanent earth lodges along riverbanks and grew crops such as corn, beans and squash. Farming and permanent settlement were therefore part of Plains life too.

The Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne were largely nomadic bison hunters: they moved to obtain resources rather than living permanently in one settlement. The Mandan and Hidatsa lived in more settled communities along rivers, growing maize, beans and squash and occupying earth lodges. These differences matter because a description of Lakota culture cannot automatically be applied to every Plains people.