Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Cheyenne buffalo runner - Marxist view on Plains nomads labor

 Salvete Omnes,


A little entry, on the Marxist side in tone and character, on the hours of labor/work Plains horse people spent getting a buffalo/bison in their mounted bison chase/hunt.

 


 from 'Native Americans and Wage Labor' – Alice Littlefield & Martha Knack editors (1995)


John Moore’s article -  Cheyenne  work in the history of U.S. Capitalism.





The Cheyenne buffalo horse


p.127-128 – the last Cheyennes horse trainers aka consultants were interviewed: 

Edward Red Hat Sr., Roy Bull Coming, Henry Mann (Horse lodge members).

Provided estimates for horse & equipment:

  -   a horse, less than 2 years old when started, is gentled daily 

by the boys who herded the horses as well as by the owner.


After the training period this horse - about 4 years old - hunts for 4 years, [participated] in

in killing of 200 buffaloes [bisons].

Horse's saddle and tack lasted also for 4 years. 


Three bows and 80 arrows were used during this period of hunting(conservative estimate). 

 

Training - 200 hours

Making saddle – 80 hours

making tack – 80 hours

making 3 bows – 120 hours

making 80 arrows – 320 hours

finding bison – 800 hours

total 2,150 hours or 10,7 hours per buffalo killed


Valete

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