.PatAndre

gallery

Along the Santa Fe Trail, the Plains Indians were at first curious rather than hostile to the trail travelers. As traffic increased the Indians began to consider the wagon trains etc. a threat to their existence. Raids increased rapidly and travelers demanded protection. One of the methods used to subdue the Indians was to start killing off the buffalo because the Indian depended on the animal for their food, clothing and tents. There were millions of buffalo roaming the plains. The herds were so vast that they stretched for miles in length and width. Three years of intense buffalo killing nearly eliminated the animal by 1870. I saw a picture of buffalo hides stacked as high as the eye could see upwards. What a waste. No wonder the Indians hated the white man.