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 Indian brave on horseback is one of the most classic images of popular art. It might come as a surprise to find out that those iconic scenes of Sioux warriors riding into battle reflect a scene that had a historical window of less than two centuries. The horse turns out to be a stranger to this hemisphere, and their being mastered by the Native American was a classic example of making the most out of an opportunity.
It was the Spanish conquistadores who were first to bring horses across the Atlantic, interrupting millenia of an Indian lifestyle that might look strange to us today. The Spanish were all too aware that their monopoly over the horse was a big part of their domination over the Navajo and Pueblo peoples around them, and they made an effort to retain that monopoly. The steady transport of horses by ship that characterized the 16th Century was never quite enough to produce any large, free herds in the Americas.
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.
The 18th Century would see an arms race among northern peoples for mastery of the horse, which became particularly central to the all-important buffalo hunts. Some northern peoples, such as the Lakota Sioux became especially powerful, building the horseback army that would challenge the United States a century later. Their story of one of brilliant innovation.
The Indian brave on horseback is one of the most classic images of popular art. It might come as a surprise to find out that those iconic scenes of Sioux warriors riding into battle reflect a scene that had a historical window of less than two centuries. The horse turns out to be a stranger to this hemisphere, and their being mastered by the Native American was a classic example of making the most out of an opportunity.
It was the Spanish conquistadores who were first to bring horses across the Atlantic, interrupting millenia of an Indian lifestyle that might look strange to us today. The Spanish were all too aware that their monopoly over the horse was a big part of their domination over the Navajo and Pueblo peoples around them, and they made an effort to retain that monopoly. The steady transport of horses by ship that characterized the 16th Century was never quite enough to produce any large, free herds in the Americas.
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.
The 18th Century would see an arms race among northern peoples for mastery of the horse, which became particularly central to the all-important buffalo hunts. Some northern peoples, such as the Lakota Sioux became especially powerful, building the horseback army that would challenge the United States a century later. Their story of one of brilliant innovation.
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