America’s national mammal possesses a troubling story in western history. For a century writers have presented the fate of the buffalo as brought down by a federal conspiracy that plotted the animal’s demise to undermine Native cultures. With an animal this important to American and western history, understanding the more realistic and accurate version of its 19th and 20th century story seems a critical step as we figure out how to go forward in returning America’s most iconic mammal to the modern West. Thank you to our sponsor Velvet Buck: https://www.instagram.com/velvetbuckwine ---------------- Check out the gear the MeatEater Crew uses in the field here: https://store.themeateater.com Follow us: Web: https://www.themeateater.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/meateater Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater Chapters: 00:00 - Why the Buffalo Story Matters 07:30 - The Fake Government Conspiracy Theory 13:45 - Who Really Killed the Buffalo? 20:40 - Philip Sheridan's Made-Up Speech 27:15 - How Economics Drove the Slaughter 34:20 - Native Americans and the Hide Trade 42:18 - Debunking the Lost Cause Narrative 48:05 - New Science: How Many Buffalo Really Existed?