A Native American Tribe

The lifestyle of the Quapaw was a spiritualistic yet simple one, as most tribes ' lifestyles were. The tribe was split up into multiple villages, and each village was made up of clans, or family units. Quapaw women wore deerskin skirts and went topless, while the men either went naked or wore loincloths. The hair of a Quapaw woman signified whether she was married or not, as married women let their hair down, and unmarried women kept their locks held in braids. During the colder seasons, both sexes wore leggings, moccasins, and robes. They lived in rectangular, bark-covered houses, with woven mats lining the interior, or sometimes acting as a substitute for bark. Other substitutes included hides and grasses. In "The Quapaw Indians," according to Carrie Wilson and George Sabo III, Every village also had a community building, built like a house but much larger, where people could assemble for meetings and ceremonies. Another structure, roofed but with open walls and a platform was also built near the plaza. Here, leaders conducted public ceremonies and guests were received.(2) As for food, they were skilled farmers, growing "corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, gourds, and tobacco"(Wilson/Sabo 1). However, once horses were brought to America from Spain, the Quapaw hunted herds of buffalo on horseback, much like other Plains Indian tribes. They were also known to create lovely pottery. Ceremonially, the tribe performed stomp dances,