As every schoolchild knows, Indians took scalps from their enemies and held dances and ceremonies over them. Some in recent years have claimed that the white man, in fact, introduced scalp lifting to the New World. ... The practice was most common among eastern Woodland Indians and tribesmen of the Plains.

Who first started scalping?

The English and the French introduced scalping to Indians. The governors of the colonies instituted scalping as a way for one Indian tribe to help them eliminate another tribe, and to have colonists eliminate as many Indians as possible.

Why did Native Americans use scalping?

Native Americans in the Southeast took scalps to achieve the status of warrior and to placate the spirits of the dead, while most members of Northeastern tribes valued the taking of captives over scalps. Among Plains Indians scalps were taken for war honours, often from live victims.