The Chase
Artist: George Cadell
The buffalo was very important to the Native American. As one very old man said, “when the buffalo leaves so will our power.” As the white man began to invade the prairies the buffalo started to vanish because of senseless slaughters. As their blood stained the prairie and the stench of thousands of carcasses filled the air the American Indian camps began to be filled with hunger and the lack of warmth.
Deeper than these physical hurts were the hurts of their hearts, knowing their land and their way of life would soon be only in their memories.
The chase of the buffalo in pursuit of food, clothing and shelter was also of great importance to these people. Taking away this as part of their life could in a small way be compared to eliminating sports such as football, baseball and other such pastimes that the modern day American might enjoy. The quote by Crazy Horse at the base of the piece says so much about the symbolism the buffalo held for the Native American.