ABSTRACT
Knowledge of the environment must be the basis for any discussion of Plains Indian culture. In Plains landforms, weather, animals, and plants, one sees the origins of Indian migration patterns, adaptations, tools, hunting practices, and house styles. There have been several attempts to determine the boundaries of the region in geographic and ecological terms. A good starting point is the outline offered by the historian Walter Prescott Webb in his classic work The Great Plains. Despite the often high productivity of farms on the Plains, it remains questionable whether agriculture is really sustainable there. The Plains make up a particular cultural setting as well as a distinctive natural environment. The Plains culture area, among others, became the subject of much attention and attempts at refinement. The culture area approach does offer benefits for study. It simplifies learning about many diverse cultural groups.
