▁this ▁buff alo ▁population ▁crash ▁is ▁heavily ▁deb ated ▁by ▁academ ics . ▁Because ▁native ▁people ▁adapted ▁to ▁the ▁social ▁changes ▁that ▁resulted ▁from ▁Euro - American ▁arrival ▁in ▁the ▁West , ▁some ▁native ▁people ▁rein vent ed ▁their ▁style ▁of ▁hunting ▁and ▁thus ▁drove ▁the ▁buff alo ▁population ▁down . ▁Pro ponents ▁of ▁this ▁view ▁argue ▁that ▁some ▁native ▁people ▁emb rac ed ▁the ▁fur ▁trade ▁and ▁adapted ▁to ▁b ison ▁hunting ▁via ▁horse , ▁which ▁drove ▁up ▁significantly ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁b ison ▁they ▁could ▁sla ugh ter . ▁ ▁Com mer cial ▁in cent ives ▁ ▁For ▁sett lers ▁of ▁the ▁Pla ins ▁region , ▁b ison ▁hunting ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁increase ▁their ▁economic ▁st ake ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁Tra ppers ▁and ▁trad ers ▁made ▁their ▁living ▁s elling ▁buff alo ▁fur ; ▁in ▁the ▁winter ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 2 – 1 8 7 3 , ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 . 5 ▁million ▁buff alo ▁were ▁put ▁onto ▁trains ▁and ▁moved ▁east ward . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁potential ▁prof its ▁from ▁buff alo ▁le ather , ▁which ▁was ▁commonly ▁used ▁to ▁make ▁mach in ery ▁bel ts ▁and ▁army ▁bo ots , ▁buff alo ▁hunting ▁forced ▁N atives ▁to ▁become ▁dependent ▁on ▁be ef ▁from ▁cattle . ▁ ▁General ▁Win field ▁Scott ▁Han cock , ▁for ▁example , ▁rem ind ed ▁several ▁A rap aho ▁chief s ▁at ▁Fort ▁D odge ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 : ▁" You ▁know ▁well ▁that ▁the