For thousands of years the Ponca people depended upon the buffalo for meat, hides for homes and clothing, horns for spoons, ribs for winter sleds, and many other uses, with every part of the animal used and nothing wasted. In the 1800s, sacred buffalo were pushed to near-extinction as over 60 million were slaughtered by fur traders and European settlers, driven by greed and a desire to eradicate Native culture. The Ponca people also suffered greatly during this time. Today the buffalo have made a powerful comeback, and organizations such as the InterTribal Buffalo Commission have united Plains tribes to help restore buffalo to Indian country, with reintroduction to tribal lands helping heal the spirit of the people.