Cibolero

Ciboleros hunted the American bison or buffalo on the Great Plains of what is now eastern New Mexico and Texas, mostly in the areas of the Llano Estacado and Comancheria.

Josiah Gregg gave this description of a Cibolero he encountered:[2]As we were proceeding on our march, we observed a horseman approaching, who excited at first considerable curiosity.

John Miller Morris explained the historical significance of the Ciboleros:[3]Juan de Oñate's colonists and the later settlers had introduced domesticated horses, cattle, pack animals, crops, fruits, goats and sheep into New Mexico, beginning a significant transculturation process for regional food supplies and transportation.

This process developed one of the most symbolic of the 18th- and 19th-century frontiersman in the Southwest: the thrilling, sportive, distinctive Cibolero of the eastern bison plains.

[6] The novel Cibolero, set against the backdrop of Spanish to Mexican rule, includes descriptions of early 19th century buffalo hunts.