Bone Black and the Unthinkable: How the Buffalo Slaughter Led to the Consumption of Native American Remains
The industrialization of the American West in the late 19th century left behind a disturbing and largely forgotten legacy: the collection and processing of bones from slaughtered buffalo, and, shockingly, from Native American remains found on the plains. This dark chapter in American history, driven by profit and the expansion of the railroads, not only decimated the buffalo population but also led to the inclusion of human remains in products used in everyday life.
After the buffalo were hunted nearly to extinction for their hides, which were highly sought after for manufacturing purposes, their carcasses were left to rot across the Great Plains. As the buffalo disappeared, the bones left behind became a new source of income for settlers and entrepreneurs. These bones were collected and transported by the ton to factories in the East, where they were processed into bone black—a substance used in refining sugar, creating pigments, and manufacturing fertilizers.
Bone black, made from charred animal bones, was an essential component in several industries, particularly in sugar production. The bones were ground into a fine powder that could filter impurities from sugar cane juice, making the final product whiter and more refined. However, this process had a macabre twist. Mixed in with the buffalo bones were often the bones of Native Americans who had died and been left unburied on the plains, victims of the displacement and violence that accompanied westward expansion.
The bone trade was not a meticulous process. Workers indiscriminately gathered bones from the plains, loading them onto railcars bound for industrial centers. As these bones were processed into bone black, there was little concern or awareness of their origins. The implications are chilling: in their quest for profit, these workers contributed to a supply chain that saw human remains from Native Americans, and likely some western explorers, turned into a product used in everyday food production.
The grotesque reality is that consumers of the time may have unknowingly ingested sugar refined using bone black that contained the remains of Native Americans. This practice highlights the profound disrespect for both the buffalo and the Indigenous peoples whose lives were upended by the westward expansion. The commodification of bones—both animal and human—reveals the depths of exploitation and disregard for human dignity during this period.
This dark history is compounded by the near-extinction of the buffalo, a species once numbering in the tens of millions. The slaughter of the buffalo was a calculated effort to undermine the Plains Indian cultures that relied on the species for sustenance. Without the buffalo, these communities faced economic and cultural collapse, exacerbating the trauma inflicted by the loss of their lands and way of life.
The story of the buffalo and the bone trade is a stark reminder of the destructive consequences of unchecked industrialization and the exploitation of both natural and human resources. However, this history also paved the way for early conservation efforts. Recognizing the dire state of the buffalo population, figures like George Bird Grinnell and Theodore Roosevelt spearheaded initiatives to protect the remaining herds. Their efforts led to the establishment of Yellowstone National Park as a sanctuary for the last wild buffalo and the creation of organizations like the Boone and Crockett Club and the American Bison Society, which played a crucial role in the species' recovery.
Today, the buffalo population has rebounded, thanks to these early conservation efforts and ongoing management practices. However, the legacy of the bone trade and the consumption of products tainted with human remains remains a sobering reminder of the moral costs of industrial progress. The recovery of the buffalo is a testament to the resilience of nature, but it also highlights the need to acknowledge and learn from the darker aspects of our history.
The history of the buffalo slaughter and the subsequent bone trade reveals the deep moral failings of a society driven by profit and expansion. The inclusion of Native American remains in industrial products is a grim reminder of the dehumanization and exploitation that characterized this era. As we reflect on this history, it is crucial to remember the importance of respecting both the natural world and the diverse cultures that inhabit it, ensuring that such atrocities are never repeated.
