The Buffalo Genocide: A Calculated Act of Cultural Destruction

The systematic near-extermination of the American bison in the 19th century remains a dark chapter in US history. Millions of these majestic creatures were hunted to near extinction, not just for their hides, but as a calculated strategy to subdue Native American tribes who depended on them for survival. Images from the period reveal piles of buffalo skulls and soldiers proudly posing with their kills. "They knew they got their food from them, their clothing from them, everything from them," says Taneka Collins, a TikTok creator who highlights this historical tragedy in a recent video. The deliberate decimation of the buffalo population deprived Native Americans of their primary food source, forcing them onto reservations and further marginalizing their communities. This act of ecological and cultural destruction serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of unchecked power and the importance of understanding our shared history.