Ecological Changes Over 112 Years Findings Thus Far By Ruth J. Heflin, PhD

Red Hunters and the Animal People by Charles A. Eastman

Published in 1904, Red Hunters and the Animal People was Charles A Published in 1904, Red Hunters and the Animal People was Charles A. Eastman’s second major book publication, following closely on his popular Indian Boyhood, published in 1902. Many of his stories appeared in various popular magazines of the time. Red Hunters contains 12 stories: The Great Cat’s Nursery (puma) On Wolf Mountain (wolves) The Dance of the Little People (field mice) Wechah the Providers (tame raccoon) The Mustering of the Herds (bison) The Sky Warrior (golden eagles, also called spotted eagles by many Lakota) A Founder of Ten Towns (prairie dogs) The Gray Chieftain (bighorn sheep) Hootay of the Little Rosebud (bear, possibly grizzly) The River People (beavers) The Challenge (humans) Wild Animals from the Indian Stand-Point Note that most online digital editions of the book do not include all the materials that appear in the print book.

“On Wolf Mountain” Location: Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming According to a 2010 report at the Animal Damage Management Board in Buffalo, there are no permanent packs of wolves in the Big Horn Mountains, although young wolves have been spotted occasionally, having wondered in from Yellowstone National Park to the east (Palmer). According to a Wyoming Parks employee, there was an attempt to reintroduce Big Horn sheep into the Big Horn Mountains, but it failed, since the sheep are too susceptible to diseases carried by domestic livestock. The animal based ecology of these mountains have drastically changed since 1904.

“The Mustering of Herds” Location: bordering lands between South Dakota’s Badlands and Black Hills. One of the first stories to admit that buffalo herds are matriarchal and to discuss the prophecy of the white buffalo calf. Bison herds are carefully managed by the U.S. Wildlife and Parks Department, since they carry, but are immune to, common diseases, such as brucellosis, that impact domestic herds. Periodic plans to repopulate the plains with bison herds are entertained, but many ranchers have begun keeping buffalo, which are more intelligent and more resilient than most domestic cattle, due to a rising demand for their meat.

“The Sky Warrior” Location: Eagle’s Nest Butte in South Dakota, south of Wanblee (which means Eagle in Lakota), South Dakota. The site is on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, so is inaccessible to most tourists. Reportedly, golden and bald eagles still nest there. The story describes how the Lakota would capture the eagles alive and take only two feathers from each bird. Eagle feathers are sacred, and only “card carrying Indians” are allowed to own them in the United States. Possibly because of its remoteness, Eagle’s Nest Butte is the least impacted ecological system mentioned in Eastman’s book.

“A Founder of Ten Towns” Location: along the Owl River in the upper reaches of prairie dog territory in Manitoba, Canada. This prairie dog photo was taken at the base of Devil’s Tower (aka Bear Lodge), where several prairie dog coteries are kept, essentially, from wandering too far from their designated areas. Ironically, Eastman’s story is about Pezpeza, a male prairie dog that moves from place to place, guided by his “herald,” a burrowing owl. Considered hazards because of their ability to carry diseases typically carried by rodents, such as the plague, most prairie dog populations are now carefully controlled in the United States.

“The River People” Location: the Great Pipestone Quarry in southwestern Minnesota and features a beaver couple, Hezee and Chapawee (which means wood worker in Lakota). The story warns of the consequences of wiping out a beaver colony. Research by Colorada State University discovered many benefits to ecosystems managed by beaver dams, primarily by keeping soil water levels high in otherwise dry valleys (Science Daily). Unfortunately, the Great Pipestone Quarry is now carefully managed by the U.S. National Park Service, so no beavers live in or near the park now. The Park Service has also altered the natural waterfall, Winnewissa Falls, in order to create a more attractive waterfall. American Indian pipestone carvers still harvest the pipestone from the quarry every year.

“The Challenge” This only truly human-oriented story in the collection takes place at Elk Point, which is between the Big Sioux River (pictured, Flandreau, South Dakota) and the Missouri River in South Dakota. The story demonstrates Lakota beliefs and social customs, Lakota hunters’ respect for their prey, as well as the diverse number of supplies that come from various animals: from elk teeth and porcupine quills for ornamentation to the various hides for clothing, housing, and storage. The story also focuses on two bull elks that compete for dominance. The cooperative competition between the hunters contrasts sharply with the elk battle, which ends with both bulls dying. Large elk herds still exist in South Dakota, but only residents of the state can hunt them.