The Buffalo and the Indians

Book excerpt: Countless herds of majestic buffalo once roamed across the plains and prairies of North America. For at least 10,000 years, the native people hunted the buffalo and depended upon its meat and hide for their survival. But to the Indians, the buffalo was also considered sacred. They saw this abundant, powerful animal as another tribe, one that was closely related to them, and they treated it with great respect and admiration. Here, an award-winning nonfiction team traces the history of this relationship, from its beginnings in prehistory to the present. Deftly weaving social history and science, Dorothy Hinshaw Patent discusses how European settlers slaughtered the buffalo almost to extinction, breaking the back of Indian cultures. And she shows how today, as Indians are reviving their cultures, they are also restoring buffalo herds to the land. Featuring William Munoz’s stunning full-color photographs, supplemented with paintings by well-known artists, this book is an inspiring tale of a successful conservation effort. Author’s note, suggestions for further reading, index.