The Bison 127 



when the animal was skinned and the hide 

 tanned there was a fine robe of the ordinary 

 color bordered with a wide band of white. If I 

 recollect aright, this particular hide was sold on 

 the river to an Englishman for $500. 



Buffalo of unusual color, being so seldom seen, 

 were regarded by the Indians with great reverence. 

 Among the plains tribes, the buffalo, on which 

 they depended for food, shelter, and clothing, was 

 sacred. Its skull was usually placed on the ground 

 near the sweat lodge, prayers were made, and the 

 pipe was offered to it, in a petition to the buffalo 

 to remain with them, to be abundant, and even to 

 run over smooth ground, so that their horses 

 should not fall during the chase. If buffalo 

 in general were sacred, how much more should 

 the white one receive reverence. The Pawnees 

 cherished their skins as sacred objects, and kept 

 them in their medicine bundles, or used them to 

 wrap about these bundles. The Blackfeet re- 

 garded white buffalo as especially dedicated to the 

 Sun, and hung up the white robe as a votive offer- 

 ing to that deity. In the same way, the Chey- 

 ennes, in old times, sacrificed the hide of a 

 white buffalo to the Sun, although later, after 

 their habits had been measurably changed by 



