, ▁pl ung ing ▁under , ▁d art ing ▁up ▁elsewhere ▁and ▁se cur ing ▁themselves ▁upon ▁very ▁sli pp ery ▁fla kes " ▁before ▁they ▁brought ▁the ▁car c ass es ▁to ▁land . ▁ ▁Religion ▁also ▁played ▁a ▁big ▁role ▁in ▁Native ▁American ▁b ison ▁hunting . ▁Pla ins ▁Indians ▁generally ▁believed ▁that ▁successful ▁hun ts ▁required ▁certain ▁rit uals . ▁The ▁O ma ha ▁tribe ▁had ▁to ▁approach ▁a ▁her d ▁in ▁four ▁legs . ▁At ▁each ▁stop ▁the ▁chief s ▁and ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁h unt ▁would ▁sit ▁down ▁and ▁smoke ▁and ▁offer ▁pray ers ▁for ▁success . ▁The ▁P aw ne e ▁performed ▁the ▁pur ifying ▁Big ▁W ash ing ▁Cer em ony ▁before ▁each ▁trib al ▁summer ▁h unt ▁to ▁avoid ▁sc aring ▁the ▁b ison . ▁To ▁Pla ins ▁Indians , ▁the ▁buff alo ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁sacred ▁animal , ▁and ▁they ▁felt ▁oblig ated ▁to ▁treat ▁them ▁with ▁ver bal ▁respect . ▁When ▁they ▁were ▁about ▁to ▁kill ▁a ▁buff alo , ▁they ▁would ▁offer ▁it ▁a ▁prayer . ▁Fail ures ▁in ▁the ▁h unt ▁would ▁often ▁be ▁attributed ▁to ▁poor ly ▁performed ▁rit uals . ▁Each ▁animal ▁produced ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 ▁to ▁ 4 0 0 ▁pounds ▁of ▁meat , ▁so ▁a ▁sla ugh ter ▁of ▁ 5 0 ▁animals ▁produced ▁far ▁more ▁food ▁than ▁could ▁possibly ▁be ▁e aten ▁by ▁the ▁band , ▁a ▁was t age ▁that ▁was ▁often ▁commented ▁upon ▁by ▁European ▁and ▁American ▁obser vers