AMERICA’S PROGRESS(1872)

HOME ON THE RANGE

THE DEMISE OF THE NORTH AMERICAN BISON

SURVIVAL FOR NATIVE AMERICANS

WHERE THEY ROAMED…

50-60 MILLION BISON ROAMED THE GREAT PLAINS OF NORTH AMERICA FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

PLAINS INDIANS SLAUGHTER BUFFALO FOR SURVIVAL

KIOWA

THE HUNTERS Bat Masterson

Buffalo Bill

Pat Garrett

Wild Bill Hickok

Wyatt Earp

SLAUGHTERED BUFFALO 1872

HOW MANY HIDES?THE ‘GUN CULTURE’ OF THE WHITES BROUGHT TO THE PLAINS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF BISON HUNTED BY THE PLAINS INDIANS AS WELL

TOO MANY HIDES…

‘PEGGING’ THE HIDE

Shipped via Rail from Kansas: 1872-1874

918,906 bison hides 21,586,700 pounds

bison bones

BUFFALO SKULLS

THE PROFIT

• $4.85 PER HIDE (SOME COULD KILL 250/DAY)

• $.25 PER TONGUE

• $8.00 PER TON OF BUFFALO BONES (100 CARCASSES)

American Indian Territorial Losses

• 1884: 1200-2000 BISON LEFT ON THE PLAINS• 2007: 150,000 HERD BISON DUE TO THE

WORK OF PRESERVATIIONISTS• THE AMERICAN INDIAN? GONE EXCEPT FOR

RESERVATIONISTS AND COMMUNITY DWELLERS.

COWBOYS and Cattle Drives

Frederic Remington

Charles Russell

Swan Land and Cattle Company

XIT Ranch

Bill Pickett

Winter 1866-67