The Plains people did not have a written language of words and letters. They used pictures and symbols. Although they had a spoken language, when the early European explorers entered the plains area, they created a sign language. At one time, there were

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The Plains people did not have a written language
of words and letters. They used pictures and
symbols. Although they had a spoken language,
when the early European explorers entered the
plains area, they created a sign language. At one
time, there were over 3000 different signs. Each
had a meaning. 
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Smoke Signals Smoke signals were another form of
communication. The plains are flat. You could see
a smoke signal for miles. By changing the puffs
of smoke from short to long, they could send a
message. Sometimes the message was one of
warning. Some were simple messages like, "Come on
home. It's time for supper!" Fire Signals Fire
signals were used at night. These were motion
signals made by running in front a fire, or
running around it. Indian scouts could read these
messages easily. One of the uses for fire signals
was to tell other tribes of danger. Running
around the fire meant "go away, get out of here."

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Blanket Signals Warriors used blankets to
communicate to someone who could see them, but
might not hear them. A wildly waving blanket told
of danger. It gave the tribe a few precious extra
minutes to get ready for an attack. Mirror
Signs The Plains people did not invent the
mirror. The white man brought the mirror with
him. The Plains people put mirrors to good use.
They traded for them with traders who might have
thought the Plains people wanted to see
themselves in a mirror. Not even close. They
wanted mirrors to use to send signals in the
daytime - signals that could be seen for miles -
streaks of reflected sunlight, which could be
read as easily as puffs of smoke. The mirror was
instantly portable. They could send a signal on
horseback, and be miles away in no time.
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Sign Language Not all the Plains people spoke
the same language. To communicate with other
tribes, they developed a sign language, a
language of hand movements. Over time, the same
signs were used all over the Plains area.
Usually, each band had at least one sign talker.
The "talkers" understood over 3000 different
signs. Some of the "talkers" could sign faster
than you could speak. When Europeans first
started entering the Plains region, various
tribes communicated with these early explorers
using sign language.
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A tepee (tipi, teepee) is a Plains Indian home.
It is made of buffalo hide fastened around very
long wooden poles, designed in a cone shape.
Tepees were warm in the winter and cool in the
summer. Some were quite large. They could hold 30
or 40 people comfortably.
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Inside the Tepee There was a small fire in the
center for cooking and for warmth when needed.
Tepees had an open space at the top, a little off
center, to let the smoke out. When it rained or
snowed, the men were sent outside to wrap an
extra piece of hide around the top of the tepee.
The men always left a little room for the smoke
to get out. The Plains people used little
furniture. They slept on buffalo skins on the
floor of their homes. Tepee Etiquette If the
entrance flap was open, it was an invitation to
enter. If the flap was closed, you needed to
announce yourself and wait for an invitation to
enter a tepee, even if you lived there. A guest
always sat to the left of the head of the family,
who always sat the farthest from the door flap.
These were rules that everyone knew and everyone
followed.
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