Now That the Buffalo's Gone

The song's title refers to the near-extinction of the American bison and serves as a metaphor for the cultural genocide inflicted by Europeans.

[1] A classic folk protest song,[2] "Now That the Buffalo's Gone" has a simple arrangement with guitar and vocals by Sainte-Marie and bass played by Art Davis.

In the song, Sainte-Marie contrasts the treatment of post-war Germany, whose people were allowed to keep their land and their dignity, to that of North American Indians.

"[6] The song describes ongoing governmental attempts to wrest land from the Cheyenne, Iroquois and Seneca.

The 1996 version removed any mention of the Kinzua Dam,[4] a change that was explained by Sainte-Marie on her website "This song was on my first album and I'd have thought it would be obsolete by now.