ABSTRACT
At the heart of any study of cultural ways must be some basic grasp of how people make their living. The Plains Natives were hunters and gatherers, with some also practicing gardening. A good way to understand their subsistence practices is by looking at the species that they depended on the most: the bison and other game, the horse and dog, and plants, domestic and wild. Among the many strange and giant animals that roamed much of Eurasia and North America during the Pleistocene were some huge bovines recognizable as ancestors of the buffalo. These animals included Bison latifrons, and Bison antiquus. The horse, along with the buffalo, was one of two natural factors that made the historic Plains Indian culture possible. The importance of the horse to Plains culture was celebrated in Indian tradition and noted by several early observers. Other animals, such as deer, elk, antelope, and small mammals were also important sources of meat, skins, and furs.
