Indians began to use the buffalo and horses at around the same time so both could be equally important. The buffalo was used for clothes, shelter and food. The horses made hunting easier, the horse is used in warfare and trading and was used as a benefit and not a necessity, Therefore, I think the buffalo is more important as they cannot live without it and in my opinion the horse is a beneficial item and it only measures wealth.
All parts of the buffalo are used, not even the bones are wasted! The hide and fur were used for clothes, shelter (tipis), saddle covers for the horses, shields moccasins and gloves. The horns and bones are used to make hoes, knifes, spoons and cups. The flesh and tongue were mostly consumed as food the tongue was sometimes used to make hairbrushes. The hooves also made glue and tools. The skins of the buffalo were sown together to make the tipis, this showed that they adapted well to living on the plains. The Indians hunted the buffalo before the horses by dressing up as a wolf and creeping up on them slowly. Sometimes they stampeded a buffalo herd so that they animals were trapped in a valley or tumbled over a cliff. This not only showed desperation but showed confidence, courage and bravery. Being on foot is mainly a matter of luck or stealth. You always have the chance of the buffalo getting spooked and they all turn against you and stampede, therefore you get crushed under their feet. Despite the dangers, they still take that chance, as they need the food and shelter in order to survive. Also, it takes incredible accuracy skill, as they need to be accurate with the bow and arrow.
The Buffalo was incredibly important because it provided food, clothing and shelter. As they live a nomadic lifestyle the buffalo is a perfect animal to hunt, not only that it provided all the essentials but because the herds move from area to area. Therefore food, clothing and shelter will always be available to them. The buffalo was essential to the plains Indians as it meant that they could live on the Great Plains. They used every part of the ones they kill to support their nomadic lifestyle.
The horse was considered an extremely valuable possession as it made hunting enormously easy. It made the hunt easier by being higher up than the buffalo, therefore it is safer and you are at less risk of getting seriously injured. Horses also meant that they could travel further to reach herds of buffalo. They could move and transport their camps quickly, following and hunting the buffalo. They could travel further into the plains instead of staying near the outskirts. The use of the horse transformed and took over every aspect of the day-to-day life of the Indians. Status and prestige were seen in the eyes of others by how many horses you had.
Other ways that the horse was useful was that they could express their
