Compare The Events Regarding The Plains Indians To The Decline Of Their Culture

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Class, When considering the events regarding the Plains Indians there are three things that come to mind first as contributing factors to the decline of their culture. The existence of the buffalo was seriously threatened. The white pioneers brought disease not experienced by the Indians. The federal government fought them with “military force”. Firstly, the buffalo were hunted at an accelerated rate after the native Indians were introduced to horses and learned to ride horseback. The Cheyenne and Sioux became “deadly efficient buffalo hunters,” nearly extinguishing the vast bison herd that had lured them onto the plains in the first place.” When the white pioneers arrived at the plains they too hunted the buffalo and did so wastefully. The less buffalo available to hunt the more they were at odds with one another, tribe against tribe, and tribes against the “wasichus” (white people). …show more content…

This is acknowledged by some of the examples below: “Indian Wars in the West were often savage clashes. Aggressive whites sometimes shot peaceful Indians on sight.” “At Sand Creek, Colorado, in 1864, Colonel J.M. Chivington’s Militia massacred in cold blood some four hundred Indians…” “Hordes of greedy gold-seekers swarmed into the Sioux lands.” “This relentless fire-and-sword policy of the whites, at last, shattered the spirit of the