Bison Hunting Methods
The buffalo (tatanka in Lakota) has always played a huge role in Indigenous cultures. To the Great Plains Indians of North America, the buffalo was the most important animal on this earth. Before colonization, buffalo were very sacred to Indigenous peoples, who relied heavily on these mammals. Buffalo are still very sacred and important to Indigenous cultures but the methods once employed to hunt these majestic animals are no longer used. Buffalo were seen as a gift from the Great Spirit and were honored before and after each hunt.
Prayer was needed before and after the hunt to maintain kinship with the buffalo. It was done through rituals or smoke to keep a respectful relationship with the buffalo’s spirit, considered a part of Indigenous peoples’ identity. The rituals conducted before setting out on the hunt were named “bison calling ceremonies.” and consisted of a medicine man calling out to the herds through song, dance, and prayer. Often a painted buffalo head was brought along on the hunting journey to carry the prayers.
Buffalo Impound
The buffalo impound became the preferred method for Indigenous peoples to capture buffalo when there were no hills or cliffs around. This method consisted of making a corral out of rocks and timber and then leading the buffalo inside the corral so hunters could shoot them with their bows and arrows. It was a very difficult task to build the corrals. These structures needed much space cleared as they were 10 to 15 feet tall with a functioning gate and chute. The chute was meant to guide the buffalo inside the structure and had to be at least 100 yards away from the entrance but also positioned in a way so everything else was hidden. There could be no light coming in from the sides of the corral and chute to prevent the buffalo from fighting harder and breaking out of the corral. A new structure had to be built every year.
Indigenous peoples faced many challenges not only with building the impound, but with the success of this hunting technique. It was troublesome to get the buffalo to the corral. Most of the time these animals came from miles away in big herds. Trying to lure the herds into a small chute took much skill.
Buffalo Jump
An alternative hunting technique called the “buffalo jump” consisted of luring buffalo to a precipice so they could fall to their death. A quick-footed man would wear a robe and buffalo horns and manipulate these large creatures into a stampede which would lead them off the cliff. Hunters would gather by the jump site and surround the buffalo with blankets and other materials that continued to guide them towards the precipice. Other hunters would wait under the cliff below while the hunters above guided. Those who waited under the cliff were in a dangerous position as they could end up with lots of buffalo. According to a National Park Services’ guide to Indigenous hunting practices, “The rewards were magnificent. If 50 bison fell off the buffalo jump, it yielded roughly 11,000-20,000 pounds of meat!” These tons of meat really helped the communities. After retrieving the buffalo, the people would cut and carve the buffalo for meat, tools, and other materials.
