RR ally with Indians

NapoleonXIV

Banned
Many years ago I read that one of the first working scoped rifles was owned by a prominent and very prolific buffalo hunter who was himself a Native American.

WI the RR and the Army decided to use Indian tribes themselves to wipe out the Buffalo and promote the RR? They pay friendly Indians what they would have paid the Buffalo Hunters and offer them jobs as RR security besides.
 
First question in return: Is it plausible for the RR? I guess the natives were much more of a threat to the RR lines than buffalos ...

Second question: Would they have been able to find enough natives, or tribes, willing to do the job?

Third: Would the natives have been reliable and fast enough?
Some of them might have noticed that they would not have been able to survive in their tribes without buffallos ...
 
First question in return: Is it plausible for the RR? I guess the natives were much more of a threat to the RR lines than buffalos ...

Second question: Would they have been able to find enough natives, or tribes, willing to do the job?

Third: Would the natives have been reliable and fast enough?
Some of them might have noticed that they would not have been able to survive in their tribes without buffallos ...

I think this should be most of them would have realised their culture could not survive without the buffalos.:) Believe most of were aware they were the real target of the killings which was one reason why they opposed the process.

Steve
 
I think this should be most of them would have realised their culture could not survive without the buffalos.:) Believe most of were aware they were the real target of the killings which was one reason why they opposed the process.

Steve
Going to agree with Stevep here. One of the main beefs the tribes had with the RailRoads (assuming this is what RR stands for) is how they impacted the Buffalo herds.
 

NapoleonXIV

Banned
I think this should be most of them would have realised their culture could not survive without the buffalos.:) Believe most of were aware they were the real target of the killings which was one reason why they opposed the process.

Steve

Could they hire just one tribe, or a group of tribes?

IIRC the larger and fiercer tribes had no qualms about oppressing the smaller and more peaceful. WI the RR offers these tribes money, ongoing jobs and a chance to get even.

Perfect for this would be a tribe of Plains farmers, rather than horse nomads, who didn't really hunt buffalo for a living and instead rankled under the overlordship of Sioux and Cheyenne who raided their crops and treated them like poor relations, were there any? Mandan comes to mind, but they were very few IIRC. and AFAIK they were Sioux themselves.
 
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