The Plains Bison Hunt--Prehistoric and Historic

Nicholas Perrot, one of the giants of the fur trade, was active in the west for nearly three decades of the latter half of the 17th century. Amonghiswritings he has left a detailed description of the buffalo hunting techniques of the northern Prairie tribes. The individual elements of Perrot’s description show a close trait for trait similarity with the hunting complex of the historic Omaha. Those similarities, plus certain elements of the Omaha hunt ritual which maybe survivals from the pre-horse period, provide a good indication that the historic hunting complex derived from one which was in existence during pre-contact times.