: ▁" The ▁creation ▁stories ▁of ▁where ▁buff alo ▁came ▁from ▁put ▁them ▁in ▁a ▁very ▁spiritual ▁place ▁among ▁many ▁tribes . ▁The ▁buff alo ▁crossed ▁many ▁different ▁areas ▁and ▁functions , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁util ized ▁in ▁many ▁ways . ▁It ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁cer emon ies , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁make ▁tip i ▁covers ▁that ▁provide ▁homes ▁for ▁people , ▁ut ens ils , ▁shield s , ▁weapons , ▁and ▁parts ▁were ▁used ▁for ▁se wing ▁with ▁the ▁s ine w ." ▁In ▁fact , ▁many ▁tribes ▁had ▁" buff alo ▁do ctors ", ▁who ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁learned ▁from ▁b ison ▁in ▁symbol ic ▁vis ions . ▁Also , ▁many ▁Pla ins ▁tribes ▁used ▁the ▁b ison ▁sk ull ▁for ▁conf essions ▁and ▁bless ing ▁bur ial ▁sites . ▁ ▁Though ▁buff alo ▁were ▁being ▁sla ugh tered ▁in ▁masses , ▁many ▁Indians ▁perce ived ▁the ▁buff alo ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁natural ▁world — something ▁guaranteed ▁to ▁them ▁by ▁the ▁Cre ator . ▁In ▁fact , ▁for ▁some ▁Pla ins ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les , ▁buff alo ▁are ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁people . ▁Many ▁Indians ▁did ▁not ▁grasp ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁species ▁ext inction . ▁Thus , ▁when ▁the ▁buff alo ▁began ▁to ▁disappear ▁in ▁great ▁numbers , ▁it ▁was ▁particularly ▁h arrow ing ▁to ▁the ▁Indians . ▁As ▁Crow ▁Chief ▁Pl enty ▁C oups ▁described ▁it : ▁" When ▁the ▁buff alo ▁went ▁away ▁the ▁hearts ▁of ▁my ▁people ▁fell ▁to ▁the ▁ground ,