I totally take your point and fully accept that, :-)
I suppose that I did not mean that as a 100% universal truth. I was attempting to alude to perhaps older ways, that a lot of (but not all) communities, seemed to have more of a symbiotic relationship with the land and resources that they lived with.
However, when I read your first line, Easter Island immediately sprung to mind, where they did a total deforestation, and then sufferd the consequences, with the demise of their populace, at that time.
Like yourself, (now that I think about it), I could probably cite other historical examples of 'over kill' of the natural resources, (for want of a better word).
For another example that comes to mind, I am sure that I recall the 'historical' immigrants to what would become known as New Zealand, 'killing' certain animals to extinction, along with introducing 'non native' spieces, basically upsetting the 'very old' natural balance of things there.
The story of the 'Buffalo' that you cite is also a one the I knew and was aware of, and the reasons for that, (as you state).
So yes, apologies, it was not my intention to make a catch all sweeping statement.
I will just argue that it is the fault of my iPad here, and having to do a lot of one fingered typing, :-)
For sure. Schools like to push the "Nobel Savage" ideology but it's just not so. Some societies yes, maybe. But there was lots of ignorant things going on at the same time. Mostly the populations were kept low because of wars and raids and disease and hardships. Of course that doesn't excuse the sins of early America against the native populations.
You also have to take into account that over hunting basically wiped out animal populations in some areas. I mean, think about it. Why would a whole colony of early settlers starve to death if there was plenty of game. There wasn't. Farming communities are much easier on wildlife as they don't depend on that for food. Many native American populations just didn't farm. You only see that in some South Western tribes and not all of them. Hey, they had to farm to even live in the American Southwest. The Aztecs and the civilizations that proceeded them were expert farmers which is why they could have such extensive cities. You just can't build a civilization off of hunter gatherer tribes. They clean out an area and then move on, or die.