What did the Great Plains culture need buffalo for?

• A. Meat for food
• B. Hides for clothing and teepees
• C. Bones for tools and weapons
• D. All of the above

Answer: (D)

Buffalo were a central resource for Plains cultures because they provided many essential needs in one animal. The meat fed people, the hides were used for clothing and for covering teepees, and the bones and horns were shaped into tools and weapons. Moving across the open grasslands to follow the herds meant using every part of the buffalo to stay nourished, clothed, sheltered, and equipped without wasting resources. Because each of these needs came from the same animal, all of these uses show why buffalo were so important to daily life.