— org ans , ▁bra ins , ▁fet uses , ▁and ▁pla cent al ▁memb ran es ▁included . ▁ ▁L oss ▁of ▁aut onomy ▁As ▁a ▁consequence ▁of ▁the ▁great ▁b ison ▁sla ugh ter , ▁Indians ▁became ▁more ▁heavily ▁dependent ▁on ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Government ▁and ▁American ▁trad ers ▁for ▁their ▁needs . ▁Many ▁military ▁men ▁recognized ▁the ▁b ison ▁sla ugh ter ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁of ▁reducing ▁the ▁aut onomy ▁of ▁Ind igen ous ▁Pe op les . ▁For ▁instance , ▁Lieutenant ▁Colonel ▁D odge , ▁a ▁high - ran king ▁military ▁officer , ▁once ▁said ▁in ▁a ▁conversation ▁with ▁Frank ▁H . ▁May er : ▁" M ayer , ▁there ' s ▁no ▁two ▁ways ▁about ▁it , ▁either ▁the ▁buff alo ▁or ▁the ▁Indian ▁must ▁go . ▁Only ▁when ▁the ▁Indian ▁becomes ▁absolutely ▁dependent ▁on ▁us ▁for ▁his ▁every ▁need , ▁will ▁we ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁handle ▁him . ▁He ' s ▁too ▁independent ▁with ▁the ▁buff alo . ▁But ▁if ▁we ▁kill ▁the ▁buff alo ▁we ▁conquer ▁the ▁Indian . ▁It ▁seems ▁a ▁more ▁hum ane ▁thing ▁to ▁kill ▁the ▁buff alo ▁than ▁the ▁Indian , ▁so ▁the ▁buff alo ▁must ▁go ." ▁ ▁Even ▁Richard ▁Henry ▁Pr att , ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Carl is le ▁Indian ▁School ▁and ▁a ▁T enth ▁Caval ry ▁lieutenant ▁in ▁the ▁Red ▁River ▁War , ▁discussed ▁this ▁strategy ▁after ▁his ▁ret irement : ▁" the ▁generation ▁of ▁the ▁buff alo ▁was ▁ordered ▁as ▁a ▁military ▁measure ▁because ▁it ▁was