THE FIRST NATIONS of the PLAINS

photo credits - J.Giannetta, hide painting at the Indian Museum of North America

THE WINTER COUNT

The Plains First Nations did not write to each other with quill pens. They did not have books to write down information. They used hides (animal skins) with drawings or paintings to record important events. The hides were a valuable record of what had happened over many years. Each tribe had a Keeper of the Winter Count. This person was an elder who knew the full story behind each drawing. During the winter, the Keeper of the Winter Count would tell the stories. This is how the people learned the history of their tribe.

Some events that might have been recorded were the hunts, storms and other severe weather, battles, heroic deeds, smallpox epidemics, etc. A Winter Count was like a time line.

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