Not long ago, many of the Native American tribes that lived in North America, particularly those in the Great Plains region, held a dependency upon the American bison (bison bison). While the Natives relied on their traditional methods of hunting and cooking that many people today would consider primitive, these bison were necessities to the Natives and hunting the animals was an essential to their well-being. A common knowledge in the history of the Natives is that they often tried to utilize as many parts of the bison as they could; they did not appreciate wasting any parts of these animals that were considered vitalities in their lives. The Natives often used the bison hides for clothing, blankets and teepees, made tools out of the bison’s …show more content…
bones, and, naturally, the bison supplied a great amount of meat for the tribes and their families (United Tribes Technical College). However, as society expanded and new technologies were discovered and created, many traditions became bypassed, overlooked, and forgotten. Now, as it seems in today’s society, the traditions of the Natives pertaining to the bison have long been put aside in order to make way for the newer, “trendier” views of the animal, especially in the sense of the bison’s meat. Therefore, this brings forth the questioning of how bison related foodways have changed over the past two centuries in North America and how the views the animal differ today than those in the past. In the late 1800s, the American bison species became very close to being completely wiped out. The animal became the primary focus of an extermination project by the white settlers when they found out that the animal was of vital importance to the Natives. The Natives held a strong belief that they were spiritually connected with the bison and that the bison was put on the earth to help them survive (United Tribes Technical College). Therefore, in an effort to drive the Natives to leave their homelands, the white settlers ordered a mass hunt of the bison, resulting in the Natives losing their main life-support and virtually forcing them to move somewhere else that had the capabilities of providing for and supporting their lives (Crawford and Kelley 85-86). This event could easily be claimed as a major factor in the reason why the bison had begun to be viewed as abnormal. The white settlers had begun to despise the Natives (which is one of the reasons behind why they wanted their lands), which resulted very closely to a hatred for nearly everything about the Natives; this included their beloved bison. One can easily see how this affected the foodways of the bison today, as it is no longer considered an “everyday” food and it has not been considered a food of vitality since these aforementioned times. With this being said, it is quite apparent that foodways of the bison today differ greatly from that of the time period of the Natives. With an average of about 650 to well over 700 pounds of meat produced from a single bison, these great animals were highly valued for the things they provided for the Native American tribes and families (Martelle 75). However, with the limited resources that the Natives had available to them to work with, the variations within their methods of preparation were quite limited when it came time to cook the meat. Nearly every time a bison had been killed, the vast majority of the meat would be left to be dried by the sun and with fire, thus removing all of the moisture from the meat and then it would be packed into a pouch made of buffalo hide while removing as much air as possible. This made the meat not only easier to store and handle, but this method also kept the meat fresher and edible for longer, so it could last them through the times when game was not to be had (Native American Netroots). One of the most common and well-known ways that the Natives prepared the bison meat was to make what is known as Pemmican. Made with the dried bison meat, dried berries, animal fat, and spices, Pemmican was very famous within the tribes. The meat would be ground until it was very close to a power-like state, mixed with the other ingredients, and then left in the sun for a few days in order for it to dry and set-up, thus forming the Pemmican. With the meat and berries being dried, the Pemmican not only lasted for a very long time, but it also was packed with a vast amount of nutrients, making it a food that was easily able to be substituted for a meal whenever needed (Native American Netroots). Pemmican was considered to be a staple among the tribes. Another very popular dish among the tribes would be cooked right after a fresh kill, buffalo stew. This dish did not get cooked as often because of its’ requirements, however, this did make it more of a celebration when they were able to make it. When the Natives made this dish, they used the inner lining of the buffalo’s stomach, which was used as a bag to keep the soup in while it cooked. This was known to be a treat among the Natives, and sometimes even a reward of sorts, as they only got to enjoy it when there was a fresh kill. While many people today would consider the methods they used primitive, although taking into consideration today’s technologies, they were, the Natives were simply doing the best they could with the options that were available to them. With fewer limitations, such as the cooking tools and techniques that became available, came more variations, resulting in the bison dishes that are commonly made and known in our society today. While bison has more of a tendency to not be a meat that is found on every menu, there are indeed many places in North America that serve the once-beloved meat. If one stumbles with luck across one of the rare restaurants that do serve it, one of the most popular dishes that they will most likely find to be served is the bison burger. Although nearly every restaurant that it will be found in are most likely each going to have their own variations, the burger is going to essentially be the same thing: ground bison meat. The technique of grinding meat has been around for ages, however, it did not become a normal technique to use in the kitchen until around the early 19th century (Filippone), making the bison burgers more of a modern dish. It is nowhere near a technique that the Natives would have used often, if at all. Another popular dish that will be found is a bison steak. While more restaurants tend to be familiar with this type of a steak, it is found to be a very hard meat to work with in this form. It’s “low fat content means that it can easily dry out” (Martelle 76), which is a factor that results in many people shying away from any attempt at cooking it. This is also why the bison burger is somewhat more popular than a bison steak, because restaurants look for the dish that will be less of a hassle, but still interesting enough for their customers to order it. Aside from bison, there is a single factor that makes these two dishes alike: they bring the excitement. Of many, one of the main reasons that bison is even served at restaurants today is because of the “abnormal” quality it brings to the menu; it gives the restaurant the opportunity to excite their customer with something “strange” or “different,” when, in thought, it should be the most common thing to find on a menu in North America. A major exhibit in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo is that of the American bison. The Zoo has two bison, Zora and Wilma, who are there to help educate their visitors on the struggle that both the Natives and the American bison went through in the past. The Zoo offers many interactives and information on the American bison so their visitors can understand a bit more about the often unheard of animal. This exhibit was the result of an effort of bringing back the knowledge that the American bison is a native animal of North America, not only a fad or craze. Great conservation efforts were also started after the white settlers went about their attempted extinction of the animal. The small amount of bison that remained after their attempts, only a few hundred compared to the millions there had once been, were then used to rebuild the species, bringing it back to, although not nearly close to what it was, a very good population of the animal. While many of these animals today live on farms for production, there are still many that live safely in parks and on private lands. Therefore, even though the past views of the bison and today’s views of it immensely clash and collide, there are still many that strive to see the relationship between the bison and today’s society become a closer reflection to that of the Natives and the American bison. Although the American bison is native to North America, somehow, over the years, the views of the bison took a dramatic turn into a strange direction.
No longer is the animal considered a veteran of the land, it is now viewed as “exotic”, “abnormal”, and “strange.” While much of this could very well be at the fault of the white settlers that did not, and did not try, to get along or make peace with the Natives, the fact is that today’s society has been blinded from this animal. The thought of eating bison today is no longer considered a normal meal, the meat has turned into an “exotic” or even “hipster” food that you would only dare try on a whim. The native animal has even made its way into Jerry Hopkin’s Extreme Cuisine: The Weird and Wonderful Foods that People Eat. This only thrusts the ideas that “eating bison is abnormal” further into the retrospection of what makes the meat, let alone the animal, different today than it was only two centuries ago. While the Natives had their simple, “primitive” methods of using the bison, they still took great pride in their traditions pertaining to the animal. They only made very few dishes with the meat, but they were one of the things that made the bison special to them. With the limited amount of knowledge and the developed unpopularity of the animal, in today’s society, the American bison is not seen as an animal that should regularly be eaten. The foodways of the bison have dramatically changed over the past two centuries, from depending on the animal to perpetually forgetting about it. There is no way to say that there is a single reason that the views and foodways of this animal changed so drastically, but simply, there has been an uproar in the relationship between humans and the American
bison.
The site played a significant role for the study of the strategic hunting method practiced by Native American. The native people hunted herds of bison by stampeding them over a 10- 18 metre high cliff. This hunting method required a superior knowledge of regional topography and bison behaviour. The carcasses of the bison killed were carved up by the native people and butchered in the butchering camp set up on the flats.
The American agents pestered the Cow by using their assets. Due to constraints, the Crow had to interact with indigenous cultural group thus learning g from each other. United States government had on numerous occasions declined to respect its treatise and responsibilities to the Crow individuals, which reproduced severe hatred. What's more regrettable, the United States' kin had murdered off the wild ox. This was nothing shy of a mind blowing obliteration of a huge number of wild oxen slaughtered altogether in an unimaginably inefficient style. The Crow's type of life encompassed the wild ox, and when the bison vanished, the Crow type of life was devastated, and the spirits of the Crow Country were smashed, by the shield.
There are three parts in West’s book; the first part focuses on the sociological, ecological and economic relationships of the plains Indians, starting with the first establish culture of North America, the Clovis peoples. Going into extensive detail pertaining to early geology and ecology, West gives us a glimpse into what life on the early plains must have looked to early peoples. With vastly differing flora and fauna to what we know today, the early plains at the end of the first ice age, were a different place and lent itself to a diverse way of life. The Clovis peoples were accomplished hunters, focusing on the abundance of Pleistocene megafauna such as earlier, larger forms of bison. Though, little human remains were found, evidence of their s...
Estimates are that at the turn of the twentieth century, over two million wild horses roamed free in the western United States. However, having no protection from their primary predator, man, by the 1970’s their numbers had dwindled to less than thirty thousand. In 1971, after a massive public uproar, Congress by a unanimous vote enacted the “Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act” (Act) that characterizes wild horses and burros as national treasures and provides for their protection. “Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.”
However, the issues that the southern Plains tribes faced did not end there: intensive pastoralism brought on negative environmental impacts that led to the decline of the bison population.
During the time of the building of the transcontinental railroad, a lot of white men killed the buffalo. They found that as a sport, and even used it to harm the Plains Indians. At that time the buffalo was a main source of food, fur, and a hunting lifestyle for the Plains Indians and by the white man killing it off it effectively hurt them. The white man killed the buffalo in large numbers that almost made them go instinctively, and they hurt the Plains Indians huge. Although the Plains Indians did kill the buffalo for their food and furs, their hunting did not have a large impact on the buffalo population.
In his essay, “The Indians’ Old World,” Neal Salisbury examined a recent shift in the telling of Native American history in North America. Until recently, much of American history, as it pertains to Native Americans; either focused on the decimation of their societies or excluded them completely from the discussion (Salisbury 25). Salisbury also contends that American history did not simply begin with the arrival of Europeans. This event was an episode of a long path towards America’s development (Salisbury 25). In pre-colonial America, Native Americans were not primitive savages, rather a developing people that possessed extraordinary skill in agriculture, hunting, and building and exhibited elaborate cultural and religious structures.
In all sports, teams use mascots to represent their team’s pride, strength, and will to win. The role the mascot plays is an intimidation factor, as well as something to motivate the team. Teams will have mascots that range from anything, from an animal to an inanimate object, like a hammer or an orange. Mascots rarely fall under scrutiny, except for the mascots that represent Native American tribes, people or cultures. Many schools and teams use some sort of Native American reference as a mascot. The Native American mascots used range from names like the Indians, Chiefs, and Braves, which are some of the more generic ones, to Seminoles, Fighting Illini, and Chippewas to name some of the tribal based names.
But the treaty was destined for failure. Commercial buffalo hunters essentially ignored the terms of the treaty as they moved into the area promised to the Southern Plains Indians. The great southern herd of American bison, lifeblood of the Southern Plains tribes, was all but exterminated in just four yearsfrom 1874 to 1878. The hunters slaughtered the animals by the thousands, sending the hides back East and leaving the carcasses to rot on the plainsand the U.S. government did nothing to stop them. The disappearance of the buffalo impoverished the tribes and forced them to depend on reservation rations.
Upper Missouri River area. Eastern Sioux, 19th century. Wooden board, buckskin, porcupine quill, length 31″ (78.8 cm). Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Washington, D.C. Catalogue No. 7311
The Cree lived in the Northern Plains, which was also home to the Sarsi, Blackfoot, Plains Ojibway, and Assiniboin. Many of the tribes were equestrian bands moving to pursue the buffalo. The buffalo was their resource for food, material for dwellings, clothing, cooking vessels, rawhide cases, and bone and horn implements. The introduction of the horse by the Spanish led to the plains Indians to become more able and skillful hunters. Each tribe had different methods of hunting, preservation, and preparation of meat (Cox, Jacobs 98).
encountered it. The Native Americans were able to use every part of the animal killed from the hide to
In the early days of United States history market hunters took advantage of what seemed like an endless supply of wild game to sell furs, feathers and meat to colonial traders. Lewis and Clark reported of seeing herds of buffalo that stretched across the plains as far as the eye could see when first passing through this territory in 1804. Estimates of thirty to sixty million buffalo roamed the Great Plains. The demand for buffalo fur back east and in Europe created a market so strong that the Indians and white hunters would kill hundreds of thousands year after year. The government hired market hunters to kill all the buffalo, the native Indians major food source, to pressure the Indians onto reservations. The buffalo herd quickly diminished
For a long period of time the Cheyenne tribe followed the buffalo. When the buffalo would migrate so would they. They used all parts of the buffalo for various things that helped them survive. They made their villages easy to pack up incase the herd left. The Women would attract the buffalo with colorful blankets when the men would shoot the buffalo with a bow and arrow. The women would do the cooking in the Cheyenne tribe. The main vegetables they would cook were corn, squash and beans. Their main sources of meat were buffalo and deer. They would make tools out of the bones of the animals they killed as well as make coats with the skin and fur. Most of the women wore animal skin skirts. The natives had strong beliefs about wasting any part of the animal so they would try to use
The buffalo provides us with far more than just food. Buffalo hair is used for making ropes and pads. The horns and hoofs are made into implements and utensils. The sinew is used for sewing and for making bow strings, and the hides were used for clothing, blankets,