Gemstone Bison “the National Protector of America”

The bison (Bison bison) or American bison is a North American mammal of the family Bovidae. The scientific name of the species was published as Bos bison in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. The Old World wisent (or European bison) is a closely related species. The animal is heavily built with a high shoulder hump, a large heavy head, a short thick neck and a broad forehead. Head, neck, shoulders and front legs are long and shaggy. The rest of the body is covered with shorter and lighter hair. The chin contains a feral beard. The animal has a shoulder height of 1.90 meters and the length of the bull is almost 3 meters. The tail length is 30 to 60 cm. The bison can reach a speed of up to 50 km/h. bison skins were exported to Europe. Between 1872 and 1874, 3,700,000 bison were killed, of which only 150,000 were by Native Americans. The white hunters killed the animals for their skins and left the carcasses to rot. The Native Americans killed as many animals as they needed, dried the meat, preserved marrow and fat, cut spoons and cups from the horns, braided lassos and girdles from the hair, and turned the hides into tent cloths, clothing, and moccasins. Finally, bison were hunted to force the prairie Indians to give up their nomadic way of life and settle on reservations. As late as 1875, General Philip Sheridan argued in the American Congress for the extermination of the bison for the latter reason.[6] When concerned Texans asked him to do something about this massive slaughter by the white hunters, Sheridan replied, "Let them kill, flay, and sell until all the bison are exterminated, for that is the only way to a lasting peace and further progress." expansion of white civilization. Hunters organized special bison hunting trains, from which the herds could be shot. As a result, the bison was virtually wiped out by 1884. The Indian lost his Indian buffalo, indispensable for its skin and meat.