Billie the Buffalo Baby (1956)

[Music] in the early Pioneer Days herds of Buffalo Roam the Great Plains from the alany mountains in the East to the Rockies in the west people say they numbered over 100 100 million the Indians often migrated with the Buffalo because they were so dependent on them for food and fur in the cold Winters it is spring at Mr Clark's private Ranch the time when the Cavs are born Billy is just learning to stand up come on Billy try hard Billy you can do it and up he comes he wants his mother Polly no that's not your mother there she is Billy is hungry and nurses ofteno calves are born with very heavy bones because soon after they are born they run with the herd the long fur man around Paul's neck and shoulders is permanent but she sheds the rest of her coat each spring nearby little April stays close to her mother the two little cabs look just alike but their mothers can tell them apart the cows are devoted mothers and are dangerous to be around if their cabs are taken away from them and so Billy and April grow up to be Playmates now that grazing is poor the buffalo have two meals a day of grain and hay they are cared for much the same as cattle on a modern Ranch George calls hi hi bu and all the clumsy animals W their way from the Far Corners of the ranch George is careful to break the Bales apart so that the Buffalo will not hurt themselves by chewing the wires poly tries to eat but the big bulls push the cows aside perhaps this is why the bulls live on an average 6 years longer than the cows they are only nice to the cows during the Spring Mating Season at this time the Bulls have terrible fights Little Billy looks confused when meanie comes near there is always trouble she shakes her horns at any animal in her way Buffalo are not famous for their good dispositions but meanie is the crossest of them all Polly protects her calf and moves away after eating they wander over to the clean troughs Buffalo like cattle spend many hours resting and chewing their cud the buckets of molasses are well liked by the Buffalo meanie pushes a yearling calf away molasses helps build their powerful bodies when King comes all the cows get out of his way because he is leader of the herd when King was sick George cared for him and so the big bull follows him Buffalo are not tame and do not make good pets they cannot be trusted because you never know what they will do from their solid horns the Indians made knives from the horn chips they made arrow heads the heavy massive head is backed by 2,000 lb of Power King could easily push his head through a fence or wall however the buffalo in captivity have forgotten their wild ways and do not realize their strength King wants the whole bucket if he looks Cross or carries his tail High a sign of danger George Will quickly jump out of his way last night there was a bad accident Brutus a mean bull broke through the heavy fence and gored Starlight who was about to have a Colt even quick Starlight could not turn fast enough to get away the Buffalo may look gentle but Starlight shows how Fierce they really are George has sent for Dr dick starlight's wound healed with hardly a scar and she had her fine cult Ginger Starlight had the same good care that Mr Clark gives all his animals Billy and April like Mr Clark because sometimes he feeds them from the bottle they wander near the teepees that Mr Clark made to show visitors the importance of the Buffalo to the Indians the Buffalo would be extinct today if it had not been for our government and a few public-spirited men like Mr Clark in the early days the teeps were made from Skins like Buffalo hides but when the Traders brought canvas the Indians used that instead Buffalo skins made bed covers and rugs even today many people have car robes made from Buffalo skins at the fireplace the women cooked buffalo meat the Traders brought them iron pots the meat was also cut into strips and dried to last through the winter like jerky an Indian chief push me Taha makes friends with Billy with the help of a lump of sugar the chief lectures on his people and the Indian sign language Billy is growing up his gold and brown coat is turning dark and his horn buds are beginning to grow someday he may be king of the herd Indian drums were treasured by the Indian tribes the divisions on this drum stood for the men of the council P watches the chief demonstrates how they use the hatchet the tomahawk the bow and arrow the tomahawk with its hard head was a deadly weapon a necklace of Elk's teeth the sign of the elf the chief wears a necklace with a bear's foot in his tribe the medicine man wore this and the Indians thought it had great healing power it was handed down from father to eldest son another necklace of turquoise and silver long before the white man came Indians fashioned jewelry from Silver and copper in this tribe the medicine man wore a headpiece of Buffalo and horns because the Indians believed he received his strength and healing power from the Buffalo the Indian sign for buffalo in Sign Language the chief says I am hungry I want bread and meat the bead design on his belt represented the eye of the Buffalo each part of his costume had meaning to the Indian the Indian bags were often beautifully decorated with beads the breach cloth was worn both long and short the sign for deer the heavy Buffalo hide made souls for their moccasins the bead design stood for a row of Tepe thus his village his home the sign for home The Fringe was ornamental also the rain would roll off The Fringe and keep the Indian dryer the chief shows how the Indian could drag his breach cloth in Dusty weather and wipe out his Footprints if he were being followed the medicine man's dance warded off the evil spirits and was supposed to bring health and happiness to his tribe [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] the medicine man tried to scare away the evil spirits the Indians believed him and felt reassured [Music] [Music] and as the Indian smoked his pipe of peace and prayed for the welfare of his people he would add another prayer for the health of the Buffalo because they were so necessary to his way of life [Music]