Villages and old trails were long located near rivers and streams, whose waterways served as highways for travel and trade and sometimes as natural yet strategic barriers between tribes. The place where water meets land is called a riparian habitat, and although it is rare in the prairie environment, it supports the greatest diversity and density of wildlife. People could depend on these places for plentiful game to hunt, water to drink, and firewood gathered along the shores for cooking and warmth. For hundreds of years, people have chosen to dwell in the Niobrara homeland, the valley of swift running water, where riparian habitats remain important delicate ecosystems that support many plants, animals, and birds.