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
