Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains - Social rank and warfare
- Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains: Top Questions
- Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains - Socialization and education
- Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains - Material culture and trade
- history of the organization of work - Agriculture
What jobs did women perform in Plains Village cultures?
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Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains
Dancers at the Totah Festival Powwow performing the Northern Tradition dance, a dance inspired by Plains traditions, on September 1, 2007, in Farmington, New Mexico.
In Plains Village cultures, women played a central role in the community through a distinct division of labor. Their responsibilities were essential to the household and the broader economy.1
Women’s primary duties included:
- Agricultural Production: Women were responsible for cultivating crops, including corn (maize), beans, squash, and sunflowers. They were also tasked with gathering wild produce and medicinal plants.21
- Domestic Management: Women were responsible for constructing and maintaining the home, cooking, and providing for the family's daily needs.1
- Craft and Production: Women produced clothing and other domestic accoutrements. They were skilled in hide processing, quilling, and beading. In some groups, women also engaged in pottery production, often purchasing apprenticeships from recognized craft specialists to learn these skills.13
- Social and Ritual Life: Women participated in their own ritual and secular associations, which typically focused on the fertility of humans, animals, and crops, as well as the turning of the seasons.4
Through these varied roles, women were vital contributors to the stability and sustenance of their communities.21