Animals have played a crucial role in the balance of nature in the Rockies and Great Plains. The herbivores that eat grass, forbs, and shrubs shape the appearance of the land. By grazing or browsing specific habitats vegetation growth is controlled and seeds spread by these animals. Predators in turn control the abundance and health of animals by controlling population size and eliminating the weak and the sick from herds. So too ancient cultures depended on animals for their survival to the point where many groups identified themselves by their most essential foods such as the Gweechen Dika, the Buffalo Eaters, and the Duka Dika the Sheep Eaters.
Bison – (Bison bison) – a large plant eating animal known as the American bison in North America and closely related to the European bison. They were mistakenly named buffalo by early immigrants to the continent but are not closely related to Asian or African true buffalo. Males (called bulls) can weigh from 1,000 lbs. to well over 2,000 lbs. Females (called cows) rarely weigh over 1,000 lbs. Roaming in vast herds from the Great Plains to the eastern forests, they were a mainstay of Plains Indian diets particularly after the late 17th century when many tribes adopted the horse as a means of hunting.
Antelope – (Antilocapra Americana) – along with the American bison the antelope (correctly called the North American pronghorn) is an iconic animal of the Great Plains and American west. Males weigh from 90 to 140 lbs. while females weigh 75 to 110 lbs. They are herbivorous eating forbs, shrubs, and grass, but are mostly known for their ability to run at sustained high speeds of up to 60 mph. Their hides were highly prized by indigenous people for being soft, durable, and beautiful for ceremonial use.
Elk – (Cervus canadensis) – at nearly 5 ft. tall at the shoulder and well over 700 lbs. elk are one of the largest members of the deer family. The name elk is a misnomer used by early immigrants referring to European moose. They are more correctly called wapiti. Indigenous people used the antlers for hunting bows, the meat for food, and the hides for blankets. Crows domesticated them as pack animals.
Mule Deer – (Odocoileus hemionus) – the mule deer is named for its ears resembling those of the mule. Feeding on woody plants as well as forbs and grass, they are widely distributed over grassland, forest, and deserts, and were a common food source for all indigenous cultures throughout North America. Males can weigh over 300 lbs., females up to 200 lbs.
Moose – (Alces alces) – the largest member of the deer family, males can reach 1,500 lbs. at maturity. They eat riparian plants. They are known mostly for their large palmate antlers. They were a food source for indigenous Canadian peoples, but did not move south into what is now the United States until after the fur trade of the 1830 and 40’s.
Wolf – (Canis lupus) – the largest member of the Canid family with males up to 180 lbs. and females up to 120 lbs. They are top predators feeding on animals from mice to moose. They often feed in packs of family groups. Wolves play a prominent role in many native creation stories. Some tribes like Apsalooke (Crow) and Duka Dika (Mountain Shoshoni) domesticated wolves as draft and pack animals.
Coyote – (Canis latrans) – also known as prairie wolf or little plains wolf, this small relative of the wolf from 15 to over 40 lbs. hunts animals as small as mice and voles to large animals like pronghorn or mule deer fawns. They usually hunt alone, but sometimes in packs for larger animals. They are sometimes spoken of as tricksters or masters of other animals in ancient tribal stories.
American Black Bear – (Ursus americanus) – a competitor for human food sources, black bears are one of the greatest omnivores eating a tremendous variety of plant and animal food sources. With claws adapted for both climbing and digging, the bear is at home in the trees as well as foraging on the ground. Underground foods make up an abundance of black bear preferred foods: roots, grubs, and insects. Black bears in the Rockies rarely exceed 600 lbs. Bears are considered close relatives of humans in many tribal beliefs.
Grizzly Bear – (Ursus arctos horribilis) – an endangered species in Canada and threatened species in the United States. The grizzly or North American brown bear rarely exceeds 650 lbs. Its claws are adapted more for digging than climbing so they rarely are known to climb trees but thrive on underground food sources such as ants, beetle grubs, moth larvae, roots and pine nuts stored underground by squirrels. Grizzlies are regarded by many tribes as animals of enormous power, physically as well as spiritually. Being closely connected to humans they are often revered as teachers that possess healing powers.
Owl – (Bubo spp.) – owls are efficient night hunters. Some live on mice and other small mammals others live on insects. They are unique in having bi-aural hearing (each ear hears differently to help locate prey; they have special feathers allowing for silent flight and their nighttime vision is extremely acute). The world- over owls are associated with death, but to Native Americans they could also be spirit guides as well as other kinds of messengers.
Horse – (Equus ferus) – introduced by Spanish conquistadors, the horse became an important part of Plains Indian culture by the 1600’s. Originally domesticated in Eurasia around 4000 BC, the large herbivores were fully domesticated and adjusted to life amongst humans by the time Native Americans adopted them. At 1,000 to 2,000 lbs. they became a life changing addition to indigenous American cultures influencing migration distances, hunting, diet, warfare, and dominance within their territories. The wealth of a man and his family was often determined by the number of horses he possessed.
Bighorn Sheep – (Ovis Canadensis) Bighorns are incredibly agile on the most difficult terrain and are often found on jagged, snow and ice- encrusted granite peaks in the high mountains. Prior to the staggering wildlife population declines during the period of ‘manifest destiny’ in the middle to late 1800’s, these sheep were prominent inhabitants of wide swathes of the West – with Lewis and Clark reporting them in a great abundance.
Their hide was highly prized for its warmth by Native people in winter clothing. The Mountain Shoshone people depended on bighorn sheep for most of their clothing, shelter and food. They were so strongly tied to these animals that they were known as ‘Duka Dika’, or Sheep Eaters.
