Bison hunting (hunting of the American bison, also commonly known as the American buffalo) was an activity fundamental to the economy and society of the Plains Indians peoples who inhabited the vast grasslands on the Interior Plains of North America, prior to the animal 's near - extinction in the late nineteenth century. Even a number of Indians west of the continental divide crossed the Rocky Mountains in traditional tribal hunts on the Northern Great Plains. The species ' dramatic decline was the result of habitat loss due to the expansion of ranching and farming in western North America, industrial - scale hunting practiced by non-indigenous hunters, increased indigenous hunting pressure due to non-indigenous demand for bison hides and meat, and even cases of deliberate policy by settler governments to destroy the food source of the native Indian peoples during times of conflict. Bison have always been hunted for their meat and the coats. Part of quality conservation is thinning out in certain areas. This helps in the overall health and wellness of the herds. When the forest service has to come in and capture and / or kill the bison it is always utilized to help the herd and is often given to the native Americans in the area to help feed them.
what things did bison provide for the plains peoples
meat meat coats