Native Americans: Sioux The Role of The Buffalo

The Plains The Woodlands The Buffalo is really named The American Bison. However we will continue to call it Buffalo as that is its common name. Why was the buffalo so important?

The buffalo wandered the Great Plains in vast herds. Bull buffalos (males) weighed more than one tonne and stood over 1.5 metres tall at the shoulders. The cows (females) were smaller but they had better meat. Buffalos ran very fast and had a good sense of smell but bad eyesight. The Sioux Indians followed the herds of buffalo. Historians estimate that in 1800 there were about 60 million buffalo. The Indians used to hunt the buffalo first on foot and then using horses. They never killed more than they needed. They used every part of the buffalo, nothing was wasted.

Why was the buffalo so important? Many of the Plains Nations originally came from the Woodlands. In the Woodlands, Native American life was based on hunting the buffalo and simple farming. Most of the Plains was unsuitable for farming as they didn’t have the tools to use on the difficult Plains soils.

What was the buffalo used for?  Meat / Organs: food  Flesh - boiled, roasted or dried  Brain, nose, gristle and tongue - eaten raw  Kidneys and liver – eaten raw  Hide: clothing &  shelter  Tipi covering, leggings,  shirts, dresses, winter  robes, shoes, shields, knife  sheaths, quivers for arrows  Other parts: tools  Shoulder blades - hoes  Hair - ropes and pillows  Fat - soap  Bones - knives, dice, paint  brushes  Tongue - hairbrush Other parts: tools Shoulder blades - hoes Hair - ropes and pillows Fat - soap Bones - knives, dice, paint brushes Tongue - hairbrush

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