Buffalo Nation: History and Legend of the North American Bison - Softcover

Geist, Valerius

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0896583902 ISBN 13: 9780896583900

Publisher: Voyageur Pr, 1998

Synopsis

The U.S. Government and its Army killed millions of buffalo as part of an all-out war against the Native Americans in the nineteenth century. The plains Indians, who relied on the buffalo as a source of food and spiritual power, weakened and succumbed to the aggressors as the buffalo quickly disappeared from the prairies. "Buffalo Nation" tells the story of this brutal war, and details the amazing comeback of the buffalo. The number of bison in the U.S. plummeted from more than thirty million in the early 1800s to fewer than 500 at the turn of the century. There are now more than 250,000 bison on ranches and sanctuaries across the nation. Valerius Geist also examines the natural history of the buffalo—underscoring its importance in North America in this enlightening exploration that will appeal to history buffs, conservationists, wildlife enthusiasts, and those concerned with Native American issues. The book features writings by "Buffalo Bill" Cody, Mari Sandoz, George Catlin, Black Elk, Lewis and Clark, General George Custer, Chief Plenty-coups, John James Audubon, Daniel Boone, Francis Parkman, and more. Illustrations include those by Charles M. Russell, Albert Bierstadt, George Catlin, and various Native American artists, along with more than 80 historical and contemporary photographs.

About this title

From Booklist:

This remarkable examination of the history and cultural impact of an animal species nearly lost for good uses a wide variety of sources in tracing the buffalo from the Ice Age to the present. Geist describes the historic adaptations that occurred in various classes of buffalo, the biology of the North American bison, the impact of human hunters, and the close relationship that developed between bison and Native American tribes. The slaughter of the great herds that began in the mid^-nineteenth century is truly horrifying today, and many people at the time were also sickened by it. Geist convincingly shows that this near extinction was the result of government efforts to deprive Native American tribes of food, forcing them onto reservations and opening the West to settlers. Sprinkled throughout are buffalo myths and stories. A fine history made even better by the array of drawings and stunning full-color photos. Brian McCombie

Review:

"Fascinating and authoritative . . . Geist skillfully interweaves this scientific narrative with Native American buffalo myths and U.S. policies to exterminate the animals." -- Outdoor Life

"Interesting and worth reading. . . . [Geist's] writing invites readers to question history's events. Excellent photography." -- Wyoming Wildlife

About this edition

• Publisher: Voyageur Pr
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0896583902
• ISBN 13: 9780896583900
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144