THE BUFFALO HUNT (WANA'SAPI^ 



The buffalo may be said to have ))oeii the essential olemont in the 

 life of the Plains Indians, as it supphed them with material for their 

 tents, clotliingf, and moccasins; with food and containers for food, 

 and household articles; with tools for their handicraft, and even 

 with fuel for their fires. Every part of the animal was utilized. 

 Among the loss familiar articles made from parts of the buffalo were 

 handl(>s for small tools. These were fashioned from a certain heavy 

 sinew of the neck, sharp needles of bone or metal, and knife blades, 

 being inserted in pieces of the "green" sinew. When dry the sinew 

 served as a firm and servicable handle for the tool. It is said also 

 that a heavy sinew of the buffalo's hind leg was dried and cut into 

 arrowpoints. 



The tribal hfe of the Sioux passed away with the herds of buffalo. 

 The last great buffalo hunt on the Standing Rock Reservation took 

 place in 1882, under the supervision of Maj. James McLaugldin, 

 then Indian agent on that reservation. During this hunt 5,000 

 buffalo were killed, the hunting party comprising about 600 mounted 

 Sioux.2 Major McLaughhn became agent at Standing Rock in 1881, 

 that year being designated in the Sioux picture calendar Wahle'za 

 Tatay'lca-iyo'talce wana' nape'yuza wani'yetu, "Winter in which 

 Major McLaughhn shook hands with Sitting BuU." The following 

 year is called wable'za Lako'ta ob wana'sa ipi' wani'yetu, "Winter 

 in which Major McLaughhn with the Sioux went on a buffalo hunt." 

 The drawing which marks this year is shown infigiu'e36. 



A graphic account of buffalo hunting is given by Catlin, who took 

 part in the buffalo hunts of the Indians in the same part of the 

 country, many years ago.^ 



In studying the customs of the buffalo hunt among the Teton 

 Sioux the writer interviewed many old men, later reading the 

 unfinished narrative to them so they might discuss it and make cor- 

 rections or additions. The completed material comprises an account 

 of the making of buffalo bows and arrows, and the cutting up of 

 the buffalo, by White Hawk, a narrative of the searching party by 

 isiya'ka, and an account of the hunt consisting chiefly of information 

 given by Swift Dog and Gray Hawk. 



1 This word means "hunt," the name of the animal to be hunted being imderstood. (Cf. use of the 

 word Hay' tan, footnote, p. 70.) 



2 McLaughlin, James, My Friend the Indian, pp. 97-116, Boston and New York, 1910. 



3 Catlin, George, The Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians, vol. 1, pp. 

 251-261, London, 1.S41. Cf. also a description of the hunting customs of the Omalia in The Omaha Tribe, 

 Fletcher and La Flesche, op. cit., p. 275, 



436 



