The Bison was critical to the survival of the Plains tribes. Many Plains tribes were nomadic, following the vast Bison herds. The Bison supplied many necessities including food, leather for clothing and shelter, dung for cooking fires, and sinew for thread. When the Bison moved, Native people quickly took down their tipis and followed the herds across the Great Plains. European encroachment slaughtered these vast herds in the attempt to starve Native people into submission.