The North American natives used the buffalo (American Bison) to supply many of their daily needs - food, shelter, clothing and tools. The American Government used the buffalo as a means of subduing the plains tribes and forcing them onto reservations, by allowing the animal's slaughter to the brink of extinction for their hides and tongues(considered a delicacy). Only a few survived in Canada.
The American Bison is on the comeback in the United States, used primarily for meat and hide leather. The animal has a double coat consisting of the coarse guard hairs and the soft down underneath. The down fiber is similar to Camel, Quiviut and the undercoat of some dog breeds - very short, but also very warm.
