From ocean to ocean, across the entire continent of North America, as far to the south as the Rio Grande, the buffalo provided life to the first American pioneers. 

Perhaps, the ancestors of today’s indians followed and hunted the Bison east across the ‘land bridge’ into Alaska.  This bison of pre-history was half again larger than the animal of modern times.  The horns weren’t curled but were almost straight out from each side of the skull with a span of maybe six to eight feet.   

Every family, every tribe, knew what to do with the carcass of the Bison.  The animal provided, not only food, clothing, and shelter, but also gave the people oils, glues, tools, weapons, rattles, tanning supplies, on and on. 

To tribes that eked out a living on the plains, the bison was the economy.  Those woodland and desert peoples, without the great herds, were poor and either depended on expensive trade, accident or a long journey to usually hostile territory to acquire this omnipotent gift from the gods. 

Is it any wonder then that the buffalo was revered so?  That a tradition of prayer came with the harvesting of buffalo?

After the white man brought the horse, those peoples closer to the great herds became wealthy, much more than comfortable. 

Each society had its buffalo dance.  Some stressed a dance before the hunt in hopes of plenty.  While some tribes stressed an after the hunt dance to give thanks.  In any case, it was with great reverence that any or all of the people held the buffalo. 

The buffalo meant life. 

When the whites slaughtered the buffalo, by the hundreds or thousands, it was, to the indian, the end.  This original American could not recover, his world was gone. 

In “Buffalo Spirit, Hear Your Children”, I have grouped specific hunters, as well as other dancing participants.  There is a “ wolf”, the hunter disguised, would work his way as close to the chosen animals as possible and then put as many arrows deep into the quarry as he could.  The better the “wolf” the better the kill.  Some of the time the “wolf” had to follow the blood trail of the wounded animal. 

Another of the dancers represents the “suffering calf”.  Again, the hunter uses a disguise with a little bison urine, maybe some manure smeared on his lower legs.  In the piece he pulls the calf skin up over his head and he begins to whine.  Bison mothers are very protective of all the young.  As the cows move to the “suffering calf”, it moves away and slowly it lures the protective cows into an ambush of spear throwers and archers.

The Indian had to have this animal, but even so, when he killed the buffalo, he prayed to that buffalo’s spirit.  He begged for forgiveness and thanked the spirit for his kindness in helping the “people”.  He also flattered the bison by including in his prayer how strong of heart, how gracious a giver and the tremendous bravery the animal possessed.

In this piece, I have shown as many different styles of dress and with one exception, different tools and weapons consistent with a time of frame of the late eighteenth century, early nineteenth.

A book could and perhaps should be written about the “buffalo dance”, and all the ramifications possible within the dance.