Some 6730 radiocarbon years ago, the Plinian eruption of Mount Mazama prompted dispersed bison hunting groups to temporarily abandon their traditional homelands and seek refuge among their distant relatives in the east. During their stay, they established new social ties and learned new technologies such as stone boiling. Returning to their homeland, they adapted this technology to extract bone grease and produce pemmican. This reliable, storable, portable, and nutritious foodstuff provided security for the Northern Plains groups and gave them a valuable trade good to exchange with their eastern neighbors. This natural disaster thus initiated a series of practices to maintain and expand their social safety net through interregional interactions with groups over a very long time. From the exchange of goods and information to the development of extensive trade centers, the bison hunters and their neighbors established an ever-expanding trade network where regional economic, social, ritual and historical practices evolved in tandem with local developments.

大约6730年前，放射性碳在马扎马山爆发，促使分散的野牛狩猎团体暂时放弃了他们的传统家园，并在东部的远亲中寻求庇护。在他们逗留期间，他们建立了新的社会纽带并学习了新技术，例如煮石。返回家园后，他们采用了这项技术来提取骨骼油脂并生产pemmican。这种可靠，可储存，便于携带和营养丰富的食品为北部平原地区的团体提供了安全保障，并为他们提供了与东部邻居交流的宝贵贸易商品。因此，这场自然灾害引发了一系列实践，旨在通过在很长一段时间内与群体之间的区域间互动来维护和扩展其社会安全网。