Miller had great respect for Indian hunters. Theirs was a fundamental survival skill that was nurtured and perfected over many years of practice. He wrote of this scene with heartfelt praise. “Creeping with the stealthiness of a cat toward his prey, perfectly understanding the nature of the animal he has to deal with, watching his chances with great patience and perseverance, added to these his experience and subtlety, make the Indian a most successful hunter ….” (Ross, 16)
In similar works featuring Stewart hunting elk from a prominence (CR# 125), Miller projects his patron’s desire to be at one with and identified with native people of the West.
