When people began to migrate from Europe to America, many things began to change. There were people who already inhabited this land, but the “new” settlers saw it as only theirs and no one else's. As the nation grew larger and larger, the natives were pushed further and further west. The Plains Indians were a large group who witnessed every step of this process. They were successful and self-sufficient, then endured the Trail of Tears, and eventually had to depend on the U.S. government for everything. Did these people deserve it? No, they deserved the same treatment everyone else received, but because they were different they weren't seen that way. The Plains Indians were the Native American tribes that lived on the Great Plains of America. They knew how to keep their tribes alive and working to their full potential. There were many different tribes that made up the Plains Indians. Some hunted buffalo to feed their families and were nomads. This was one of the largest and most common animals on the Great Plains, which made them easier to hunt and provided food for a large group of people. Some knew how to grow crops to feed their families, so they were sedentary and did not have to keep moving to live. (“Native Americans and the West”) They had their own organized religion, and the key to this religion was worshiping the Great Spirit. Along with religion, to keep this tribe going everyone had a job to do. The men traveled in groups to kill as many buffalo as possible, and the women stayed home to watch the children and make sure things like clothing, blankets, food, and medicine were provided. They had everything they needed and were perfectly happy with their lives. ("Plains Indians") The Nativ...... middle of paper ...... sufficient until new settlers arrive; they had life figured out, then had to go through a trail of tears and hardships to be forced onto reservations, and finally had to depend on the US government for anything they needed. It wasn't right to take away all independence from these people, but back then no one cared about anyone else, only themselves. Works Cited “Plains Indians.” Indians.org. February 15, 2014. http://www.indians.org/articles/plains-indians.html.“Native Americans and the West.” UnitedStatesHistory.org. February 15, 2014. http://tdl.org/txlor-dspace/bitstream/handle/2249.3/232/07_ntve_am_wst.htmGilion-Whitaker, Dina. “Facts about Indian Reservations.” About.com Native American History. February 15, 2014. http://nativeamericanhistory.about.com/od/reservationlife/a/Facts-About-Indian-Reservations.htm.