The Buffalo

THE BUFFALO by JOHN M. ARRIBAS THERE WAS A TIME I ROAMED THESE PLAINS FAR BEYOND WHERE THE EYE CAN SEE IF YOU LIVED ON THESE PLAINS YOU HAD TO DEPEND AND FOLLOW ME IF YOU WANTED QUALITY MEAT TO EAT GRASS FED AND IN GREAT QUANTITY IF YOU WANTED FURS AND PELTS TO WEAR TO KEEP THE COLD FROM THEE IF YOU WANTED FUEL FOR A COUNCIL FIRE OR TO WARM A SIMPLE TIPI IF YOU WANTED A SOLID PEACE PIPE TO GAIN A FRIEND FROM AN OLD ENEMY IF YOU WANTED THE SPIRITS TO SMILE SPREAD BLESSINGS ON THE COMMUNITY IF YOU WANTED BONES FOR TOOLS YOU HAD TO DEPEND AND FOLLOW ME I WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO OFFER FEED YOU ONLY TOOK TO MEET YOUR NEED A BALANCED EXISTENCE FOR ALL TO SHARE YET OMINOUS FORCES WERE IN THE AIR THE WESTWARD MOVEMENT IN FULL GEAR COULD NOT COEXIST WITH THE TRIBESMEN HERE AN DIABOLICAL PLAN WAS PUT INTO ACTION CORRAL AND CONTROL THE INDIGENOUS FACTION THE BUFFALO WAS THE MAIN SOURCE OF ALIMENTATION ELIMINATE THE SOURCE CAUSE WIDESPREAD STARVATION RAILROADS HIRED THE BEST SHOOTERS IN THE LAND SLAUGHTER THE BUFFALOS WHERE EVER THEY STAND BUFFALOS WERE SLAIN FROM A COWARDLY DISTANCE THE TRIBES FOUGHT AND OFFERED FIERCE RESISTENCE BUFFALO(2) FINALLY DOMINATED BY AN OVERWHELMING FORCE THE TRIBES WERE COERCED TO A PEACEFUL DISCOURSE DEPRIVED OF FOOD AND MANY FACING STARVATION TRIBES AGREED TO STAY AND LIVE ON A RESERVATION THE RESERVATION SITES THE GOVERNMENT SELECTED WERE HARSH AND BARREN THE TRIBES FULLY REJECTED FOR NUMEROUS YEARS THE PLAINS LAY UNPROTECTED BUT IN THE END THE TRIBES WERE SUBJECTED THE SHAMANS INVOKED THE SPIRITS WANTING TO KNOW IF THE TRIBES WOULD SEE A RETURN OF THE WHITE BUFFALO THE BUFFALO WAS SACRED AND SPIRITUALLY POSSESSED ITS VERY EXISTENCE KEPT THE VILLAGES BLESSED THE BUFFALO VANISHED FROM THESE ENDLESS PLAINS BUT AWAITING HIS RETURN IS THE HOPE THAT REMAINS THERE WERE FIFTY MILLION BUFFALO NOT LONG AGO AN IMMORAL SLAUGHTERING LEFT LESS A MILLION OR SO THE TRIBESMEN AWAIT THE BIRTH OF THE WHITE CALF TO BRIGHTEN THEIR LIVES CAUSE THE CHILDREN TO LAUGH THE WHITE BUFFALO HAS RETURNED TO THE TRIBES OF THE EAST THEIR LAND ONCE UNUSED IS A PLACE NOW WHERE MANY FEAST MODERN STRUCTURES NOW OCCUPY TRIBAL LANDS WHERE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS DAILY CHANGE HANDS THE WHITE BUFFALO HAS RETURNED AS A GOLDEN PALOMINO ENRICHING THE TRIBES WITH A GOLD MINE CASINO THE TRIBES OF THE PLAINS WHERE THE BUFFALO ONCE ROAMED MOST LIVE IN ABJECT POVERTY, THE SLAUGHTER HAD SOWN ON THE PLAINS THE WINDS ARE SIGNALING UNREST THE RETURN OF THE HERDS IS THE SIMPLE REQUEST THOSE HERDS ARE GONE NEVER MORE TO OCCUPY THE LAND THE HOUR GLASS IS EMPTY THERE IS NO MORE SAND