The topic that resonated the most with me was the extermination of bison as it was just a really cruel and calculated way to deprive Native Americans of a central part of their diet and culture. It not only harmed and continues to harm Native Americans today, but almost caused bison to go extinct. The video we watched talked about how before colonization, bison were a source of food, clothing, shelter as well as a large part of their cultural and spiritual beliefs.1 With the extermination of bison, Native peoples had to depend on rations and annuities from the reservation, which were often insufficient, leading some to starvation (9/23 lecture). The video also said that the rations included flour, coffee, and sugar which negatively impacted the health of Native Americans. High rates of diabetes and heart disease are direct effects of the extermination of bison from their diet.2 I think it’s important to not only consider the terrible effects of the slaughter of bison in the past but how it continues to affect people today. There are still direct consequences from events that happened over a hundred years ago, so the harm still continues. Bison are also culturally and spiritually important to many Native Americans (for example, they are part of the Lakota emergence story).3 They are not only being deprived of food but of an important part of their beliefs. As a result of all of this, Native communities were also pushed towards farming (9/23 lecture), which seems to have been a way to assimilate them into a more American lifestyle.
Today, some communities still struggle to have bison returned to their lands. For example, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have not had possession of Big Medicine for over 60 years. The tribal leaders expressed that ““[Big Medicine’s] return to the Flathead Reservation would further our peoples’ healing process and provide a unique opportunity for the Montana Historical Society to right a wrong in our shared history.”4 I think it’s important to point out that the return of this bison would help with the healing of the community. The video also expressed that the return of bison was healing, which shows how important these animals are to Native communities. This made me think of how devastating it must have been for these communities and their ancestors to see bison exterminated and gone. It wasn’t just a food source, but spiritually important to them. Native Americans today have responded by restoring bison populations in their lands.