Bison ecocide as ethnocide of the Lakota in the late 19th century. Undermining of animal symbols of subsistence and wisdom

Sara Germán Vázquez

SAP Environmental Research and Ecotoxicity, 2026

Abstract: This paper examines the symbolic, religious, and cosmological centrality of the bison within the Lakota worldview at the end of the 19th century, considering not only its material function as a means of subsistence, but also its profound spiritual and cultural value. From a historical-anthropological perspective, it analyzes how this animal articulated complex networks of meaning linked to knowledge, wisdom, territoriality, and the relationship between humans and their natural environment. The bison is understood as a cultural symbol inextricably linked to the ecological, social, and religious conditions of the North American Plains. The analysis is based primarily on the testimonies of Hehaka Sapa (Black Elk), compiled by John G. Neihardt and later critically reviewed by Raymond J. DeMallie, as well as on the ethnographic contributions of Joseph Epes Brown. These sources allow us to identify a double symbolic articulation of the bison: as an emblem of the cosmic East, associated with knowledge, old age, peace, and wisdom; and as a representation of the Ancestor of the Earth, linked to subsistence, home, and fertility. Both dimensions form distinct but interrelated semantic fields within Lakota religious thought. The mass destruction of the bison during American colonial expansion is interpreted as a deliberate ecocide that transcended the environmental sphere. This process contributed to the genocide and ethnocide of the Lakota peoples by dismantling the material, symbolic, and religious foundations of their existence. The elimination of the bison led to the erosion of an integral worldview, profoundly affecting the identity, religiosity, and possibilities for cultural resistance of this indigenous society.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cwf:ereart:ere2026279

DOI: 10.56294/ere2026279

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