Why did some Plateau groups adopt tepees?

Plateau Indian groups adopted the tepee primarily due to their increasing mobility and nomadic lifestyle.1

Traditionally, Plateau peoples lived in permanent winter villages and used various semipermanent camps for seasonal foraging. However, the introduction of the horse in the early 18th century transformed their subsistence patterns, enabling some groups to travel across the Rocky Mountains to hunt buffalo on the Plains.12

Because the tepee was designed to be easily disassembled and transported, it served as an ideal dwelling for these hunting expeditions. As certain Plateau groups became increasingly nomadic, they adopted the tepee as a full-time residence.13