What Role Do Deer Play In Society

In 1883, the last of the bison herds were killed. Black Elk could not understand why the Wasichus would kill animals without using everything it had to offer. That year Black Elk said, "All our people now were settling down in square gray houses, scattered here and there across this hungry land, and around them the Wasichus had drawn a line to keep them in. The nation's hoop was broken, and there was no center any longer for the flowering tree. The people were in despair.” (BES, p. 213-214) In 1886, as part of a show, Black Elk traveled to London to study the Wasichus and their way of life. By studying

In At Last I kill A Buffalo explains one of many daily activities that Natives participated in their natural state of survival. The Lakota, and many other tribes relied heavily on the buffalo for their everyday needs. Not only was the buffalo prepared for food, tools, and clothing, hunting them served as significant turning point, in Standing Bears case of a trial of “the strength of my manhood and honesty.” In their culture the order of nature, was vastly respected and was understood that there was an order that nature followed, and in this they are one with the land and creatures walking on it. “Ever since I could remember my father had been teaching me the things that I should know and

One extreme change for the Indians was the arrival of Anglo-Europeans. Native peoples’ lives were changed at the blink of an eye while new ideas, practices and beliefs were shown to them. The arrival of the Europeans changed the way the Indians viewed their world and manipulated their resources. This new change could be viewed as positive as well as negative, for while some tribes entered into trade relations with the Anglos, others were used as slave labor and all were subject to disease brought on by the European newcomers. However, despite all the advantages and disadvantages, no other introduction changed the lives of the Indians more than firearms and horses. West outlines one of the most important evolutions for Native life and how it represented a new way to harness resources and gain power. In just a few chapters, we are able to see the great advancements the Indians made in hunting and trade due to these new technologies and how they allowed the Cheyennes to rise to a new purpose as the Called Out People.

First, I will look at the tribes of the Great Plains. These nomadic tribes survived on hunting, and the great American Buffalo was their main source of food. These massive animals were the main source for many items the Plains tribes made from their flesh, hide and bones, such as foods, cups, decorations, tools, knives, and clothing. The tribes followed the seasonal grazing and migration of buffalo in order to maintain their diet and subsistence throughout the year. The Plains Indians lived in tipis because they were easily disassembled and allowed the nomadic life of following game. When horses from the Spanish were finally obtained, the Plains tribes rapidly joined them into their daily lives. The natives began to acquire these horses in the 17th century by trading or stealing them from the Spanish colonists in, what is now, New Mexico.

The buffalo were evidently everything to the Native Americans, hereby causing the defeat of buffalo to fall hand in hand with theirs. The plains Indians used bison as not only food, but in religious rituals, for clothing, for hunting, for shelter, and more. The buffalo were an integral part of the native’s lives. In the aftermath of the increasing killings of bison, the lives of countless Native Americans were destroyed. The said 30-60 million buffalo which had roamed freely upon the Great

Hunting was important to the early man. This was how they would find food and the necessities that they needed from animals. In document #1, the cave painting found in Lascaux, France, shows a herd of deer attacking a group of people that have bows and arrows. The painting shows the human figures using the bows and arrows to attack and kill the deer. This evidence may suggest that this group of people are nomadic; meaning they migrate to areas where a food source is available. A quote by Jacob Bronowski’s documentary, The Ascent of Man, in

Predators, hunters, and habitat contribute to the increasing densities of whitetail deer in some locations. The populations of predators, wolves and cougars, have greatly declined in suburban areas. This declination has helped with the increase of the deer population. Since the 1970’s the number of hunters has been declining. This may be because of the number of people that do not believe in recreational, or sport hunting. For some hunting has become a hobby to show off and brag about causing others to be turned off to the whole idea of hunting. Although hunting can be popular it is prohibited in parks,

When the American cultures are hunting, they have to make sure that they have a lot of land. If they do not have a lot of land it will be hard for them to be able to hunt for food. It has been estimated that people that have a lot of land

Additionally, Royal gives clarification for Native Americans’ positive stereotypes. He explains, “ But this is far from modern concepts of ecology. Native Americans in fact overhunted deer and beaver even before the arrival of the white man, and did not seriously try to preserve the resources in the vicinity of their villages. As a result, the typical woodland village, having exhausted local soil and game, had to move on average every eight to 10 years” (Royal 47). Although the Native Americans did not destroy the environment like Europeans on such a large scale, they are not trying to protect the environment either. This opposes the stereotypes that Native Americans are model ecologists. Royal also examines the inhumane sides of Native American tribes. Royal reveals, “The

One of the most important traits shared by all Plains tribes was the fact that they all hunted bison or buffalo. This was also the economic basis of their way of life since hunting provided them with food and

Both Robe and Bailey discuss at length the difficulties they faced during their migrations westward ranging from rough terrain, inclement weather, loss of animals and even feelings of homesickness. Robert Robe dedicates many of his entries to his carvan’s hunting efforts as their ventures appear to have been a learning experience for them. This learning curve can be extrapolated over the period from May 29th through June 3rd as on the 29th the horseman scare away the herd and footman had to pursue, followed on the 31st where despite shooting at several buffalo they only manage to kill one and by June the 3rd they’ve begun to use teams to retrieve kills. (Nash, et al., 2007., pp.386-387) Robe’s experience highlights the high priority of obtaining food while traversing west as supplies often dwindled quickly and many had to throw out prized possessions to lighten loads to ease travel. (Nash, et al., 2007., p.

People often think that deer are the kind of animal that will try to avoid humans, staying as far away from us as possible. Although the deer are often afraid of humans, they do not always do well in the deep forest setting. The deer are not like most animals that are found in the forest; they actually do very well in a relatively rural setting. Unlike the grizzly bear which prefers to be alone, and really can not survive with humans, the deer has survived and is growing in numbers because of the human. Although the food is generally unwillingly taken, man has been feeding the deer for years. Deer love to eat farmers’ crops, vegetable gardens, and any landscaping flowers they can find. Not only has man been feeding the deer, but we have also eliminated almost all of their predators. The population of wolves and coyotes are gone in most regions. Hunting is strictly controlled by officials, and cannot really guarantee anything as far as population control. Therefore, there is no good way to control the population.

The Indians relied on buffalo for survival. In Dances with Wolves, Dunbar quickly learns that hunting buffalo is key for survival. Dunbar’s new friends end up having to move to a different location because there were no buffalo to hunt and Dunbar decides to go with them. The Indians use the buffalo fur for blankets, teepees, and drums (Native American Culture). They also would eat the meat of the buffalo. They used everything so that nothing was wasted. Also in The Searchers there is a scene that shows the white men killing all the buffalo in the valley. They did that because they knew how important they were to the Indians survival. Obviously, they didn’t care about them surviving because they had kidnapped Ethan’s niece.

Due to the dependence upon naturally occurring sources of food, which are not always found in the same abundance as in agricultural cultivation, hunter-gatherers are usually found in bands of less than fifty people and in areas with low population density. This subsistence strategy

It is early in the morning; the majestic Elk bugles in the distance. The sun is kissing the tops of the peaks with the most beautiful gold, and painting the clouds rose red. The men and women who enjoy the outdoors whether it is hunting or just hiking help make these types of moments possible. Hunting and the ecosystem is tied closely to conservation of land and animals. The articles of “Hunting and the ecosystem” written by the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Department (SDGFP), and “Facts and statistics on wildlife conservation” written by Roger Holmes, director of the Fish and Wildlife, touch on how hunting is important in the environment to keep a good balance in the ecosystem. They also point out how hunters do more than any other