2017 Spring Newsletter

THE LAST GREAT KANSAS BUFFALO HUNT While the Miami Tribe was wai ng for the treaty of 1854 to be confirmed, they and several other tribes made ready for their yearly buffalo hunt. The hunts provided meat to carry them through the winter months and coming spring. The Indians were hun ng for livelihood, whereas the white hunters were just slaughtering buffalo for slaughter’s sake in order to take the hide and hind quarters, leaving the carcass to rot. Ely Moore, Jr. came from New York to visit his In dian agent father, and while at the mission, he was in vited to par cipate in a buffalo hunt. He states that as soon as the annual payment was made to the tribes, which amounted to $80,000 in gold, the tribe made ready for their hunt.

miles from their original reserva on. The hunt itself was quite different from the way the white man hunt ed buffalo. The whites killed the older bulls on the outside of the herd, whereas the Indians would kill a few bulls to get inside the herd so they could kill cows, calves and two year olds that gave the finest robes and meat. Only revolvers or bow and arrows could be used on the inner circle.

The tongue of the buffalos were cut out and used as a “tally sheet” giving a record of 1700 buffalo be ing killed, skinned, robes dried and tanned, and hams were but into pieces similar to smoked beef of the present day. The part of the animal not eaten was turned into strips and dried which would allow it to be kept for years. The air was so pure, there were no “green flies” so the meat would cure in a few days The party also had two hundred pelts of wolves they had killed which would be shipped to market. The buffalo and wolf pelts were tanned and made into robes to be sent to St. Louis. It was said that the Mi ami tanned robes were worth a dollar a piece more than any other shipped to market. The tribe received $3,000 for their robes. Only one injury was suffered in the hunt and it was to a Miami Indian, Jimmie Squirrel, who had the calf of his leg torn loose by a wounded buffalo. His horse had stepped in a hole and fell leav ing Jimmie Squirrel vulnerable.

The buffalo hunt consisted of four hundred men, and fi y women from the five tribes of Miamis, Weas, Peo rias, Kaskaskias and Piankishaws. The women went along on hunts only to preserve and cure the meat and skins. Twenty Shawnee and thirty Po awatomies also joined the hunt. Everyone was well armed. Equipment was one hundred wagons with two yoke of oxen to each wagon and two hundred pack ponies. This party of Indians le August 20, 1854 with Eli Moore, Jr. and Goine, called “Quick Eye”, going to Westport to get extra revolvers, colts, power, caps and balls as there were no shells in those days. There first camp was at Mount Oread; Kansas Uni versity in Lawrence is presently located at this site. The second camp was at “to-pe-ka”, Kaw language for “a place to find small or wild potatoes” where the thir ty Po awatomies joined the hun ng party. Eventually the hunt made its main camp in the vicinity of what is now Dickinson County, Kansas, approximately 120

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