Cars: The New Buffalo

Driving by fairly small houses one sees a collection of old cars. One person read that the Indians here are coming to treat cars as they had buffalo: They use every part of it. The old cars are kept around as dog houses (I have seen a lot of dogs) and as collection of old parts.

Reading about the Buffalo in two books I am quite amazed at the role the Buffalo played in their culture. The Buffalo were killed, but the Indians never sought to extinguish them. In some ways, they were not just Buffalo eaters, but Buffalo farmers. They believed in a mystic communion of sorts with the Buffalo.

Which makes me think: Given the property lines that are drawn and the need for Buffalo to roam, what do the Indians here do to replace the spiritual and communal role the Buffaloes in the community?

Furthermore, I was thinking about how different Indian Spirituality is. I was thinking, what can I learn, what can I encorporate, and now I realize how difficult it would have been (would be) for an Indian to adapt Christianity within their context. Apparently, 20 years ago, there was a strong division between Christian and non-Christian Indians. At this time, such division is not as strong. I am curious to see how this amalgam looks like. Perhaps a concrete example of how Indian Spirituality and Christian Spirituality differ -- and not just in terms of theology about Jesus or God: Indians did not gather for weekly services, they came together when they felt the Spirit calling them and then would stay together for a few days.