What is the United States national mammal?
Barack Obama signed a special act on the 9th of May, 2016, which made the American bison the national mammal of the country. Now it is considered one of the official symbols of the USA, together with the Bald Eagle, the national bird.
These animals, millions of individuals, used to occupy North America from the ancient times. When a lot of people came, bison became endangered. European settlers actively pushed west, hunting and killing the bison, leaving only several hundred of them alive. Fortunately, concerned people made efforts and didn't let the bison go extinct.
More Info:
www.theguardian.com
What are your thoughts on this subject?
139 Comments
William Laughlin
Let's call it like it was. White settlers pushed through the Great Plains and massacred the American bison herds to near extinction, much the same way they wiped the passenger pigeon, the most abundant bird in North America and possibly the world, from the face of the earth. It was pure greed, since they killed the bison indiscriminately for their pelts alone, leaving the carcasses to rot, without using the rest of the animal. The Native Americans, the ones called "savages", had more respect for the animals and took only what they needed and when they did kill an animal, they used all its parts. Critical to their survival, bison not only provided Native Americans with food, shelter, and tools, but a model on how to live. To American Indians, bison also represent their spirit and remind them of how their lives were once lived, free and in harmony with nature.
From beard to the tail, American Indian nations used every part of the bison. Because the bison provided many gifts—from tepees and clothing made from hides, to food from their flesh, to soap from fat, and tools made from bone, they were honored as relatives and paid tribute to through songs, dance, and prayers. They were more ecologically advanced than we are today.
99
Jul 14, 2016 3:37AM
Carol Frank-Stork Ray
The bison didn't have a problem with "people" until the white settlers arrived and started pushing westward. The Native Americans treated the animals with the respect that they deserved.
46
Jul 14, 2016 12:30PM
Edward S. Gravlin
Please note that European descended Americans of the late 1800's deliberately killed bison en-mass in an effort to expell Native American Plains Indians from the Great Plains.
26
Jan 25, 2017 10:14PM
Wayne Linburg
Certainly absolutely deplorable what was done to the Bison and First Nations people but hooray for Obama.
12
Jan 9, 2020 1:55AM
William Laughlin
Their being endangered and the lack of knowledge of some do not make the fact less true! By the way, the word is "mammal".
9
Jul 14, 2016 10:38PM
Mike Dorman
Let's call it as it really "was" William. Settlers may have killed the occasional bison for food, but it was professional Hunters doing several thing. One was killing buffalo to feed railroad workers on the Union Pacific,but far more importantly in terms of the effect. They shot them for their skins. "Settlers" generally stood by and watched what was happening, but the vast majority were farmers, not hunters. Thus happened to dovetail nicely with eliminating the Plains Indian's source of protein. Not settlers,but simply slaughterers.
8
Jul 11, 2019 8:28AM
Sean Philips
Debbie Wright, are you saying that William Laughlin is incorrect? Simply because facts don’t suit you does not make them untrue. Early settlers DID massacre bison herds to near extinction and DID wipe the passenger pigeon from the face of the Earth. These facts are pertinent because they relate to the question. Why you would take offence is beyond me...
7
Feb 12, 2019 1:26AM
Suzanne Wilson
Some wag once suggested that the difference between a buffalo and a bison was that a 'bison' was something we Australians washed our hands in :)
7
Mar 2, 2019 7:06PM
William Laughlin
Gregory Chandler I'm not sure I understand your point. Yes, "massacred." What I said is no laughing matter. Do you understand the meaning of the word?
6
Jul 14, 2016 11:39AM
Ben Totuous
Oh lord, here we go again... Another thing the rabid right will sue Obama for.
6
Jul 17, 2016 6:16AM
marilynmitri
Thank you, William Laughlin...
0
May 1, 2023 10:13PM
Player cfromp
Several different possibilities mentioned. The bad guy (the majority of time) seems to be GREED.
0
Nov 24, 2021 3:47PM
Chris Brown
I wouldn't know. I live in NZ, not the US.
0
Oct 11, 2021 7:41AM
Noelito
William Laughlin, I totally agree...except that these people are now called NATIVE AMERICANS and that they have nothing to do with the sub-continent of India.
0
Aug 22, 2021 11:42AM
Armadillo
El Diablo and poisonous snakes were in the glades. That's why no settlement at that time. I'm not scared of the ole devil.
0
Aug 9, 2021 7:48PM
M.C.F
Oh wow lets recognise a beautiful creature, luckily it was not wiped off the face of the planet not dissimilar to the first people.....
0
Jul 8, 2021 3:36AM
illonabird
Actually it was Teddy Roosevelt who saved the bison from extinction. He put them on trains and sent them to Yellowstone or maybe it was Yosemite, until their numbers increased. They were then released into their natural habitats, with federal protections.
1
Dec 19, 2020 1:23PM
Maia
William Laughlin, ditto and underline!
0
Sep 4, 2020 10:40AM
Lynn Murphy
Richard Jamieson, Bald eagle a mammal? Not likely....
0
Aug 17, 2020 2:47PM
Chrissie
Joanne Serin, Richard Jamieson said he thought the USA national mammal was the bald eagle.
0
Jul 12, 2020 11:20AM
blackcatonyx
I had a picture of a squirrel up. not a buffalo Once the answer came up it was a buffalo. Not impressed.
3
Dec 10, 2019 7:21PM
Rolande Ouellette
William Laughlin, you make a great point, it's true what you just written, you know your history, and I approve with you because that is exactly what happened.
2
Nov 12, 2019 1:31PM
Joanne Serin
Wmc Barker, that's a buffalo, not a bison.
0
Aug 14, 2019 7:25PM
Joanne Serin
Chrissy Krainock Luders, there is (was?) also a herd of bison on Catalina Island.
1
Aug 14, 2019 7:23PM
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