Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur when the body's tissues are mistakenly attacked by their own immune system.
What role did the bison or buffalo play in the culture of the Plains Indians? The bison were an important source of fur, food, and shelter for the Plains Indians. They used every part of the animals they killed. Bison were also an important part of their culture.
For thousands of years Native Americans hunted bison and valued it above all other animals. Prized for their meat, their hides, and their bones, a bison offered one-stop shopping for most Plains Indiansâkind of like when we go to Wal-Mart. You can imagine how hard it was for the Plains Indians to see their most valuable resource slaughtered by the thousands.