The buffalo as a provider of food, clothing, medicine, and shelter is also viewed as a necessary part of religious ceremony. In the early 1900's, the practice of traditional medicine among the Bands fell subject to direct federal intervention. The practice of healing rites and ceremonies of the people were outlawed, and at the same time, western medicine was not provided to alleviate the sickness and disease that had taken over entire tribes. Since 1978 however, traditional medicine and the healing ways of the people have surfaced and are flourishing among Native American traditional practitioners today. Today Native Americans live and function in a bi-cultural society.
Native residents are overwhelmingly youthful and represent one of the youngest rural populations.
The Native songs of the pow-wow incorporate the drum and dancing and represent a highly refined aesthetic experience involving people of all ages from toddlers to the elderly. On the reservations, the Tribal governments have had to be innovative and aggressive in private sector development. The results of such initiatives are apparent in terms of job creation in new industries and development of new infrastructures, as well as the recent establishment of gaming enterprises, all of which have yielded both jobs and income for the Tribes. Today, the various Native American tongues can be heard throughout their communities and are taught in Tribal schools. The traditional Native elders assert that the legends, values, and customs of their people must be spoken in the Native language, as it is the language of the heart.