Since I was a kid (oh, about this high, around 4 or 5), and saw my first buffalo (near Altus, Ok), it became my favorite animal. In the 70s, I loved the movie "The White Buffalo" (Charles Bronson was among the stars), and it's one of my favorite movies of all time. I rode a buffalo a few times, and thought I was on top of the world, and in total control of everything. Here's a photo of when I was in Sepulpa, Oklahoma, at a huge buffalo statue.
Tom Michaels with Buffalo Statue in Sepulpa, Oklahoma