It would be easy to imagine that the Comanche, Crow, and other Native Americans from America's breadbasket represented a timeless tradition, stretching back thousands of years. They certainly had an abundance of such traditions, but they were also bold innovators. This is an aspect of their culture not often celebrated. The story of horsemanship and the Plains Indian turns out to be a perfect example of Native innovation.
The Native American warrior on his horse, solitary and communing with the land, is a truly iconic figure. It's a little disconcerting to be reminded that those classic scenes reflect a period that, in actual historical terms, did not last two hundred years. Horses are not, in fact, native to the New World, and the Natives' ability to master them represents a triumph of boldly adapting to a new opportunity.
Thousands of years passed during which the First Peoples lived lives the did not include the horse, till the Spanish conquistadors arrived with theirs in their hulls. Sole access to the horse played a large role in the Spanish power to dominate the more numerous Indians in their midst, and they were at first jealous in keeping their knowledge to themselves. Until the 17th Century, not enough horse were transported across the ocean to be able to spawn any sizable new populations.
Eventually, the Spaniards took to hiring Pueblo and Navajo ranch hands to work their stables. Rumors apparently spread regarding the advantages this strange creature provided the invading Spaniards, because throughout the 17th Century the Indians often raided their sprawling properties, always hoping to make off with horses. It would not be until late in the century that the secret of the horse would truly start making its way to the peoples of Plains.
In 1680 the Pueblos struck big, driving the Spanish off lands rich in all kinds of livestock, including horses by the thousands. Finally, there was a population of horses large enough for extensive trade with other First Peoples across the continent. By the turn of the 18th Century the Comanches of the southern Plains had begun to turn themselves into a people on horseback.
Comanche warriors quickly became legendary for their expert horsemanship, developing a fast bond with the animal. It was nothing short of ingenious that they could develop such skill with an unknown animal in so little time. As a cavalry, they swept over adversaries as the Mongols had under the command of Genghis Khan, teaching them in turn just how vital it was to master the horse.
The Comanches became the model of expert horsemen for the tribes north and east of them. The Texas Rangers would also become students of their techniques. They had become famous for daring physical feats, such as dangling off the sides of a galloping horse, firing arrows.
Mastering the horse would become the obsession of people after people throughout the 18th Century, especially since it was so important to the buffalo hunt. The Lakota Sioux cultivated the armies on horseback that would destroy Custer at Little Big Horn. The story of their horse riding skills should be celebrated as an historical example of the power to innovate.
The Native American warrior on his horse, solitary and communing with the land, is a truly iconic figure. It's a little disconcerting to be reminded that those classic scenes reflect a period that, in actual historical terms, did not last two hundred years. Horses are not, in fact, native to the New World, and the Natives' ability to master them represents a triumph of boldly adapting to a new opportunity.
Thousands of years passed during which the First Peoples lived lives the did not include the horse, till the Spanish conquistadors arrived with theirs in their hulls. Sole access to the horse played a large role in the Spanish power to dominate the more numerous Indians in their midst, and they were at first jealous in keeping their knowledge to themselves. Until the 17th Century, not enough horse were transported across the ocean to be able to spawn any sizable new populations.
Eventually, the Spaniards took to hiring Pueblo and Navajo ranch hands to work their stables. Rumors apparently spread regarding the advantages this strange creature provided the invading Spaniards, because throughout the 17th Century the Indians often raided their sprawling properties, always hoping to make off with horses. It would not be until late in the century that the secret of the horse would truly start making its way to the peoples of Plains.
In 1680 the Pueblos struck big, driving the Spanish off lands rich in all kinds of livestock, including horses by the thousands. Finally, there was a population of horses large enough for extensive trade with other First Peoples across the continent. By the turn of the 18th Century the Comanches of the southern Plains had begun to turn themselves into a people on horseback.
Comanche warriors quickly became legendary for their expert horsemanship, developing a fast bond with the animal. It was nothing short of ingenious that they could develop such skill with an unknown animal in so little time. As a cavalry, they swept over adversaries as the Mongols had under the command of Genghis Khan, teaching them in turn just how vital it was to master the horse.
The Comanches became the model of expert horsemen for the tribes north and east of them. The Texas Rangers would also become students of their techniques. They had become famous for daring physical feats, such as dangling off the sides of a galloping horse, firing arrows.
Mastering the horse would become the obsession of people after people throughout the 18th Century, especially since it was so important to the buffalo hunt. The Lakota Sioux cultivated the armies on horseback that would destroy Custer at Little Big Horn. The story of their horse riding skills should be celebrated as an historical example of the power to innovate.
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If you would like more Plains Indian info, come to the Arapaho Legends website. To find out more on the Blue Sky People who, not that long ago, hunted the buffalo and protected our families on the Great Plains of the Rocky Mountain region, go to http://www.arapaholegend.com today.
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