• The Crazy Horse memorial honors one of the Great Plains' greatest tribal leaders, Crazy Horse ,of the Sioux tribe.crazy horse monument image by jedphoto from Fotolia.com
  
  Defined as the area in North America between the Mississippi River and Rocky Mountains, according to the Kidz World Website, the Great Plains region housed some of the most iconic tribes in U.S. history and culture. These tribes varied not only in name, but also in lifestyle. Some settled and focused on farming, but most tribes in the Great Plains were nomads, following and hunting the revered buffalo. Some of the larger tribes had enough people that they were known as "nations." During the late 1800s, these powerful tribes eventually lost their lands and decreased in size after a series of battles and unfavorable treaties with incoming settlers.
  
  

Sioux

• The Sioux nation spread across the Great Plains, inhabiting modern-day Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Iowa and bordering areas of Canada. Sioux tribe members referred to themselves as the Lakota (or Dakota) tribe; they further defined themselves by region, as Teton (western), Santee (eastern), Yankton (central) or Yanktonai (central), according to Bowling Green State University's American Culture Studies Department. The Sioux hunted and gathered for vegetables and fruits, but mostly relied on the buffalo for food, tools, shelter, clothing and more. Sioux tribe members also farmed; they grew beans, squash, pumpkins and maize (corn). Famous Sioux leaders include Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and Red Cloud.
  
  

Cheyenne

• The Cheyenne originally lived in modern-day Minnesota, but the tribe moved in the 1600s to modern-day Montana, Colorado and Kansas. The Cheyenne people lived in settlements and focused on farming, until the tribe began horseback riding. With horses, the tribe started to move nomadically to follow buffalo herds. According to the Encyclopedia of World Cultures, the Cheyenne were also prominent traders who acted as "middle men" for trading between other tribes and settlers. Around the beginning of the 1800s, the tribe divided into northern and southern divisions (according to the "Encyclopedia of World Cultures," one half lived mostly around Bent's Fort and the Arkansas River, and the other half stayed by the North Platte River). Famous Cheyenne leaders include Dull Knife, Little Wolf, Roman Nose and Black Elk.
  
  

Comanche

• The Comanche tribe dominated the southwestern portion of the Great Plains, living in modern-day New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Colorado. The tribe even pushed into Mexico. According to "The Columbia Encyclopedia," the Comanche were fierce warriors and superb horsemen. Their warlike culture kept setters away from Comanche-controlled land for more than 100 years. The tribe's well-known horse-riding abilities allowed it to move with the buffalo for food, clothing and shelter; it also kept enemies far away because the Comanche could ride great distances to raid or attack. Instead of living as one large tribe, the Comanche people thought of themselves as living in "bands." According to the Comanche Nation Website, there were five main bands in the 1800s. These bands met to make decisions whenever important issues faced the overall tribe. Famous Comanche leaders include Quanah Parker and Buffalo Hump.