In the 15-19th centuries, the Plains Indians were some of the only remaining native American tribes that had significant power and military might. One of the most powerful tribes were the Comanches who hailed from Wyoming, but managed to conquer all the way into Texas and northern Mexico.
Although the Anglo-Saxon Americans who were settling the west often learned the hard way how powerful and intelligent the Comanche were. Over time their material wealth and technological superiority overwhelmed the natives, but not before they had learned numerous lessons.
1. Playing is good - Comanche children were raised playing with horses from a young age. By the age of 5 most children were expected to be raising their own horse and training it in certain techniques. By 8 the children were supposed to be able to ride and shoot bows at the same time.
Playing with the horses at a young age led them to develop an awareness of the animal and their ability to use it. Modern children spend countless hours learning facts, figures, and other schooling in the traditional education system, but Comanche spent much of their early years focusing specifically on a horse.
It is no wonder the horse became their main source of military might and power. By playing so often in their childhood, they developed skills that were unrivaled amongst their competition.
2. Be creative with resources - as with most native tribes, the Comanche were incredible resourceful. They killed buffalo and used every part of the animal in order to sustain the life of their tribe.
It seems today there are few who have been able to find the same mentality. Most people (especially in America) are wasteful and can't repurpose things in order to make do with less. For example, cocoa butter wafers are used in the kitchen for cooking, but can also double as skincare products. The Comanche used bison tallow for similar purposes in the kitchen and on their skin.
3. Compete on your terms - The Comanche weren't the first native tribe to use horses in combat. The Apache and other tribes used them first, but always dismounted from their horses to fight white American settlers. In this regard, they were fighting a "fair" fight, but this was never nearly as effective as the method the Comanche used.
By riding into battle on their horses, the Comanche would fight while mounted and had tremendous luck against their opponents. They used this advantage to win most of the western United States and conquer hundreds of thousands of acres of territory. They never wanted to compete on another group's terms, but took it upon themselves to create their own methodology.
Much can be learned from Native Americans and indeed all hunter-gatherers and nomadic tribes. As our cities become more overwhelming and further away from the type of life that our ancestors had, it is both interesting and important to view the modern day torch bearers of our past.