The Pawnee Tribe first lived near the Missouri River. Then they moved to Nebraska and Kansas. Each village was built close to a river. The houses were built up on higher ground.
The Pawnee lived in big circular lodges. Inside each lodge were four poles. The poles were painted. Each pole stood for a different direction. The poles stood for the north, south, east, and west. The lodge covering was made of earth, willow branches, and sod. Up to 50 people might live in one lodge.
Pawnee women were very important in the tribe. Pawnee women were divided into three groups. The three groups were mature women, young single women, and older women. Each group had a different job in the tribe. The mature women cooked and grew corn, pumpkins, squash, and beans. The young single women learned how to grow food and cook from the mature women. Children were loved by the tribe. The older women took care of the children.
The Pawnee females wore skirts and moccasins in the summer. In the winter they wore buckskin dresses and leggings. The Pawnee males wore clothes made from buffalo skins. In the winter they wore long pants and robes made from buffalo.
In the 1850s, the Pawnee people were exposed to deadly diseases. They came down with smallpox and cholera. Many of the Pawnee died.
