Travois facts for kids
A travois is a special frame that was used long ago by Native American people, especially the Plains Indians in North America. They used it to drag heavy loads across the land. The word "travois" comes from a French word meaning a frame for holding horses.
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How Travois Were Built and Used
A travois was usually made from two long poles. These poles were tied together at one end, forming a long triangle shape. The pointed end went forward when it was dragged. Sometimes, a third pole was tied across the wider end to make it stronger.
People could drag a travois by hand, sometimes using a harness over their shoulders. But often, animals like dogs or horses pulled them. Horses were first brought to North America by the Spanish in the 1500s.
To load a travois, people would pile goods right onto the poles and tie them down. Or, they might stretch cloth or animal hides over the frame first to create a basket-like space for the load.
Even though travois didn't have wheels, they were very good for the land where Native Americans lived. Wheels would have gotten stuck in forests, soft soil, or snow. A travois could carry more weight than a person could carry on their back.
Dog Travois
Before horses were common, dogs were the main animals used to pull travois. A dog travois was made from two poles, often from aspen or cottonwood trees. These poles were tied together at one end. The other ends spread out and dragged on the ground. Cross-bars were tied between the poles near the spread-out ends. This made the frame look like a big letter "A" with extra bars.
The top point of the "A" was wrapped in buffalo skin to protect the dog. This part rested on the dog's shoulders. Native American women built these dog travois and took care of the dogs. They even used small toy travois to train puppies! Dogs often pulled things like buffalo meat and firewood.
Dog travois were small and could pull about 20 to 30 kilograms (44 to 66 pounds). Traveling with dog travois was slower in hot weather because it made the dogs tired.
Horse Travois
By the mid-1800s, horses became more common. Horses were much stronger than dogs, so they could pull bigger travois. This meant families could have larger tipis and carry more belongings.
Instead of building new travois frames, many Plains Indian tribes would use two tepee poles. They would cross these poles over a horse's back. Then, they would attach a platform or net between the poles behind the horse. This was smart because the horses could carry both the tepee poles and other baggage at the same time. Children often rode in the back of horse travois.
When traveling, some people, like the Salish people, would leave their tepee poles behind at a camp. This was a tradition so that the next tribe or family to camp there could use them.
Where Can You See Travois Tracks Today?
You can still see signs of travois use today! Places like the Lewis and Clark Trail-Travois Road and Montana's Lewis and Clark Pass were heavily traveled by people using travois. The travois were dragged over the ground, making deep, parallel tracks. These tracks can still be seen in some areas. You can also find travois tracks at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site.
See also
In Spanish: Travois para niños
