- Title: HUNTING THE BUFFALOE
- Author: Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall
- Date: 1837
- Condition: Very Good - minor foxing, scattered stains and light surface soiling
- Inches: 15 1/2 x 10 3/4 [Image]
- Centimeters: 39.37 x 27.30 [Image]
- Product ID: 308445
This striking hand-colored lithograph is part of the renowned series “History of the Indian Tribes of North America”, by Thomas L. McKenney and James Hall. The artwork vividly captures a dramatic scene of a Native American hunter on horseback, poised with a bow and arrow as he pursues a buffalo across the open plains. The hunter is depicted in traditional regalia, emphasizing both the skill and bravery required for such a hunt. In the background, more buffalo and a sweeping landscape evoke the vastness of the American West and the central role of the buffalo in Plains Indian culture. This image not only serves as a striking visual record but also as an important historical document, reflecting the lifeways of Indigenous peoples during a period of profound change and upheaval in North America.
Background on Creator(s)
Thomas Loraine McKenney served as Superintendent of Indian Affairs during President Andrew Jackson's endorsement of the Indian Removal Act in 1830, a period marked by the forced displacement of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands. Collaborating with James Hall, McKenney launched a project to preserve the images and stories of 125 Native American leaders, including chieftains, orators, and interpreters involved in treaty negotiations with the U.S. government. This effort culminated in the publication of History of the Indian Tribes of North America, a three-volume work released between 1836 and 1844.