Native peoples of the Great Plains

Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Horses and bison on the Plains

   Topic	What we know
   Horses	a 2023 study with Lakota, Comanche and Pawnee scholars found that horses were part of Indigenous life by the early 1600s; older accounts said horses spread only after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680
   Bison before	an estimated 30 to 60 million bison (estimates vary)
   Bison low point	fewer than 1,000 bison by the 1890s
   Why bison almost vanished	settlers moving west were the main cause; an Army directive to destroy bison as a way to control American Indians, cattle diseases and drought added to it
   Bison today	more than 60 tribes are bringing bison back to their lands

   Below the chart: for thousands of years, Native peoples relied on bison for food, clothing, shelter, tools and jewelry. Data: National Park Service and National Science Foundation.

2. 1.

   By the chart, how many bison were there before the decline, Bo asks?

   • Fewer than 1,000
   • Exactly 60 million, each one counted by hand
   • Exactly 45 million
   • An estimated 30 to 60 million
3. 2.

   By the chart, when were there fewer than 1,000 bison, Esme asks?

   • By 1680
   • By the 1890s
   • By the 1990s
   • By the early 1600s
4. 3.

   By the chart, who took part in the 2023 horse study, Jun asks?

   • Army officers who wrote reports in the 1890s
   • Spanish colonists of the 1600s
   • Scholars including Lakota, Comanche and Pawnee people
   • Pueblo leaders of 1680
5. 4.

   By the chart, what was the main cause of the bison's near-loss, Kira asks?

   • Cattle diseases alone
   • Tribes bringing bison back
   • Settlers moving west
   • A long drought alone
6. 5.

   By the chart, which government action added to the bison's near-loss, Luz asks?

   • An Army directive to destroy bison
   • Tribes bringing bison back to their lands
   • A law that protected the herds
   • A 2023 study of horses
7. 6.

   By the chart, what is happening with bison today, Milo asks?

   • Horses are spreading after 1680
   • More than 60 tribes are bringing bison back
   • Settlers are moving west again
   • Bison are back to an estimated 30 to 60 million
8. 7.

   Which claim about bison numbers does the chart support, Pia asks?

   • Bison numbers stayed steady through the 1800s
   • Bison fell from 60 million to exactly 1,000
   • Bison are back to 60 million today
   • Bison fell from millions to fewer than 1,000
9. 8.

   Which claim about the causes does the chart support, Ren asks?

   • Several causes added to the bison's near-loss
   • Drought was the one cause
   • Cattle diseases were the one cause
   • The chart names no causes
10. 9.

    Why does the chart give 30 to 60 million, not one number, Tala asks?

    • Estimates vary, so the chart gives a range
    • The number grew from 30 to 60 million
    • 60 million is a later count than 30 million
    • Bison were counted exactly in two years
11. 10.

    Which word in the chart shows that the 30 to 60 million figure is not exact, Zee asks?

    • estimated
    • bison
    • fewer
    • million