Why are aboriginal animals buffalo?

[_GLaDOS_ 102]

(I don't know if theres been one about this, but I didn't see one)

So basically we all know the episode "Over the barrel" and honestly, doesn't anybody feel bugged about the fact aboriginal animals are buffalo? I always thought they would be ponies so its fair, but yet the animal they hunted the most? I don't get it, and I'm slightly offended due to I am aboriginal, and it bugs me. Sure its kind of.. 'Creative' that they would make natives buffalo, but still, I still feel offended.   So, why? Why did they make them buffalo?! 

[Silver Letter 1,830]

 

 

I always thought they would be ponies so its fair, but yet the animal they hunted the most?

What are you talking about?

[Noei 717]

These buffalo in the show aren't just any buffalo , they are American Bison, which are pretty aboriginal in North america....while the ponies are mostly predominant in every place of the world. 

[Banul 3,831]

 

(I don't know if theres been one about this, but I didn't see one)

So basically we all know the episode "Over the barrel" and honestly, doesn't anybody feel bugged about the fact aboriginal animals are buffalo? I always thought they would be ponies so its fair, but yet the animal they hunted the most? I don't get it, and I'm slightly offended due to I am aboriginal, and it bugs me. Sure its kind of.. 'Creative' that they would make natives buffalo, but still, I still feel offended.   So, why? Why did they make them buffalo?! 

 

 

Buffalo weren't just an animal they hunted. They were fairly significant culturally to certain tribes. 

 

I can't speak for what would or would not offend Native Americans because I'm not one, but it didn't strike me as insensitive. 

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

I think they we're trying to draw a parallel. Buffalo/American Bison are native to America while Horses, and by extension ponies are from Eurasia. 

[truth is life 76]

I think they we're trying to draw a parallel. Buffalo/American Bison are native to America while Horses, and by extension ponies are from Eurasia.

Strictly speaking, horses are also native to North America, but died out there about 12,000 years ago, after the first paleo-Indians migrated there, possibly due to overhunting or climate change. However, soon after the emergence of horses (that is, the genus Equus) several million years ago they spread into Eurafrasia, where they radiated into a number of forms (the horse itself, donkeys, onagers, zebras, etc.) and survived until they were domesticated several thousand years ago. Something similar happened with camelids, which is why they're found in South America (llamas and alpacas and their related species) and in Eurafrasia (camels).

 

In any case, American Buffalo are a natural choice for use as a "native American" species, because, obviously, they are native to America; they are iconic and well-known; and, perhaps most importantly, the best known American Indian groups, of the plains, were heavily dependent on buffalo as a food source and for many other important raw materials. It's almost too obvious a connection to make.

[AlbaTross 1,581]

Some First Nations groups hunt buffalo, and as others have said they're native to NA. Zebras are native to Africa(I think), so I think the same logic was used when choosing Zecora's species. Whether or not that's racist is up for debate, and I think I'll refrain from weighing in on that angle.

[Aleh 481]

I fail to see how using animals associated with native Americans to represent native Americans is offensive. 
But thats just me >.<

This honestly just strikes me as getting offended for the sake of getting offended. There was literally nothing insensitive about this xD

Edited March 30, 2015 by Aleh

[Xenomorphic 362]

Well the town of Appleloosa is obviously based of the american west with all the cowcolts and cowmares and there western style of there clothing and the town. In the American west Bison or Buffalo were pretty common and the Natives used to use them for many things. Like Tipis and Stuff and they wwere a big part of there culture so thats why I THINK they are based off the Bison

[DeadAccount 4,603]

I'm not sure what to say considering I'm Native American

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,704]

I fail to see why it's offensive.

 

Other than simply making everyone a pony, I think the depiction of Native Americans in the show as Buffalo makes quite a bit of sense. Besides, we see that Africans are depicted as zebras, Middle Easterns as a different type of horse species, ponies are of European origin, I wouldn't be surprised if East Asians had its own depiction (though one of Photo Finish's assistants did had very squinted eyes so I'm unsure if that's their depiction of East Asians or if that individual pony just happens to look like that).

Edited March 30, 2015 by Tsaritsa Luna

[Xenomorphic 362]

I agree with Luna over there its not offensive if all the ponies looked the same that might be considered offensive because if there all the same it might be like some theory guys gonna say "This Represents White Supremacy" Or something so thats why i think diversity in the show is important. 

[Aleh 481]

I agree with Luna over there its not offensive if all the ponies looked the same that might be considered offensive because if there all the same it might be like some theory guys gonna say "This Represents White Supremacy" Or something so thats why i think diversity in the show is important. 

Well honestly no matter what you do people will somehow end up getting offended >.<

Apparently that's just how it works xD

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,704]

Well honestly no matter what you do people will somehow end up getting offended >.<

Apparently that's just how it works xD

Which is very unfortunate.

[marshmallowminish 183]

I fail to see how using animals associated with native Americans to represent native Americans is offensive. 

But thats just me >.<

This honestly just strikes me as getting offended for the sake of getting offended. There was literally nothing insensitive about this xD

THIS. This times 100! People depict the Asian community as Siamese cats all of the time, but I, as an Asian, don't find any offense in it. That's just me, though!