IS IT A BISON OR A BUFFALO?
What does Tatanka mean?
During the writing of Thunder Falls, I learned what we call buffalo in this country is not the buffalo, but instead—bison. In fact, they are two different species of animals. Here are the main differences between bison and buffalo:
Species
Bison and buffalo belong to different scientific classifications. Bison, also known as American bison, are native to North America. Buffalo, on the other hand, are found in Africa, where they are called Cape buffalo or Water buffalo. In Asia they are known as Water buffalo.
Physical Appearance
While both bison and buffalo have shaggy coats and a large head with horns, they have some distinct physical differences. Bison are generally larger and heavier, with a hump at the shoulders. They also sport a shorter tail, and a larger head. Buffalo have a longer, less shaggy coat with a sleeker, narrower head with longer horns.
Habitat
Bison are adapted to live in the grasslands and prairies of North America, while buffalo are prone to live in a variety of habitats, including savannas, forests, and wetlands.
Behavior
Bison and buffalo have different behaviors and social structures. Bison are social animals that live in herds, led by a dominant male, with females and calves staying grouped together. Buffalo, on the other hand, live in large herds with a dominant female and a more fluid social structure.
Overall, while bison and buffalo share some physical and behavioral characteristics, they are distinct species that live in different parts of the world and have adapted to different habitats and environments.
Why Buffalo Bill and not Bison Bill?
William F. Cody, popularly known as "Buffalo Bill," was a legendary figure in the American West who earned his nickname from his hunting of buffalo during the 1860s and 1870s. A practice later condemned for many reasons and which can be read about in Thunder Falls.
During that time, the term "buffalo" was commonly used to refer to the American Bison, and it was the term was widely used by settlers and hunters alike. As a result, when Cody gained fame as a buffalo hunter, he was referred to as "Buffalo Bill" rather than "Bison Bill."
The name stuck with him, and he continued to use it throughout his life, even as his career shifted to show business and the founding of the famous Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. Today, he is still known as Buffalo Bill and is remembered as one of the most iconic figures of the American West.
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Sometimes when you read a novel, it's so immersive it simply takes over your imagination. Those books are few and far between but that's exactly what Thunder Falls - The Education of Leopold Red Wolf does. A new Native American Literature release which once again finds Neil Perry Gordon on top form.
Gordon's narrative is fresh and assured with a sense of intrigue and purpose accompanying Leopold's adventures at every turn and as with Gordon's previous releases his feel for detail is terrific.
Every one of his characters is an individual and refreshingly his narrative remains clear of trite clichés as he finds the right pace and style for a story that makes a perceptive and important statement about Native American Indians, the West, the American dream and the lengths to which unprincipled men went to attain it.
We know that Native American Indians were destroyed as an organic community and shunted off to reservations but there's no stridency or overreaching to be found in Gordon's narrative and he doesn't set out to capture the history of a time, but its flavor as he straddles two ideas of civilization: the Indian's and the white man's.
Thunder Falls unfolds from the perspective of Gordon's protagonist Leopold Red Wolf with occasional flashbacks, which are indispensable to the discoveries ahead and as with Gordon's previous releases, there is hardly an emotion that he doesn't touch upon.Â
It's a story about anger, shame and helplessness and although not explicit in the way you might expect it's more than enough to elicit a visceral reaction and as an excoriating look at the historical plight of Native American Indians, it bites hard with unexpected plot twists which give Gordon's novel plenty of solid dramatic impact.
A superb start to a new series from Gordon with particular appeal to readers of his Alaskan Adventures of Percy Hope series, Native American Literature and Westerns, Thunder Falls - The Education of Leopold Red Wolf is unreservedly recommended!
~ The Book Viral Review
