| It is believed that bison, or buffalo, originated in Eurasia | | | | killed off the buffalo you also killed the Indian--the real, |
| then crossed over the Bering Strait land bridge that at | | | | natural, "wild" Indian." |
| one time connected the Asian and North American | | | | The government also actively encouraged buffalo |
| continents. In prehistoric times the massive herds | | | | hunting for other reasons. A reduction in the buffalo |
| literally darkened the face of the earth as they | | | | population allowed ranchers to range their cattle |
| roamed and foraged. Over many centuries the buffalo | | | | without competition from other bovines. The railroad |
| slowly migrated southward until they inhabited much of | | | | industry also wanted buffalo herds culled or eliminated. |
| the grasslands of the United States. Seas of buffalo | | | | Herds of buffalo on the railroad tracks could damage |
| herds stretched across the horizon from Canada to | | | | or derail locomotives when the trains failed to stop in |
| Mexico and from the northwestern Pacific coast in | | | | time. During winter storms, the massive herds often |
| Oregon southeast as far as Florida. | | | | sought shelter in the artificial cuts formed by the grade |
| Bison were the most numerous single species of large | | | | of the tracks winding though the prairies and hills. As a |
| wild mammals on Earth and is the largest land | | | | result, buffalo herds could delay a train's passage for |
| mammal in North America since the end of the Ice | | | | several days and delays cost money. |
| Age. A male buffalo may stand as high as six feet | | | | By 1884, the American Buffalo was close to extinction |
| and weigh up to 2,000 pounds. | | | | and proposals were put forth to protect the buffalo. |
| Prior to the white man's desecration of the American | | | | Recognizing the pressure on the species was too |
| wilderness, Native Americans depended on the buffalo | | | | great, Cody was one of the most vocal proponents of |
| for food, clothing and shelter. Indian culture had a | | | | measures to save the waning buffalo population. |
| reverence and respect for the buffalo and used the | | | | In South Dakota, the herd of James "Scotty" Phillips |
| meat, hide and bones of the beast. | | | | was one of the earliest reintro-ductions of buffalo to |
| In the 19th century buffalo were hunted to near | | | | North America. In 1899, Phillips had a goal to preserve |
| extinction. In the 1880's only a few hundred of the | | | | the species from extinction and purchased a small |
| magnificent creatures still survived. | | | | herd from Doug Carlin. Carlin's son Fred had roped 5 |
| The major reason for the extermination of the giant | | | | calves in the Last Big Buffalo Hunt on the Grand River |
| herds was the profitable harvesting of buffalo hides. | | | | in 1881 and transported them to the family's ranch on |
| There was a lucrative export trade to Europe of | | | | the Cheyenne River. At the time of purchase there |
| buffalo hides to make the luxurious rugs and robes so | | | | were approximately 7 pure buffalo left in the United |
| coveted by the wealthy elite. Old West buffalo hunting | | | | States. |
| was very often a massive commercial enterprise, | | | | At the time of his death in 1911 at 53, Phillips had |
| involving organized teams of professional hunters, | | | | developed the herd to an estimated 1,000 to 1,200 |
| backed by a team of skinners, gun cleaners, | | | | head. Several other herds were also established from |
| re-loaders, camp cooks, wranglers, blacksmiths, | | | | the 5 calves rescued at Grand River. |
| teamsters and numerous horses, mules and wagons. | | | | During that same time, two Montana ranchers, Charles |
| Men were even employed to reclaim and recast lead | | | | Allard and Michel Pablo, invested over 20 years in |
| bullets taken from the gut piles. | | | | assembling one of the largest collections of purebred |
| From 1873-83 there were over a thousand of these | | | | bison on the continent. At the time of Allard's death in |
| professional hunting companies operating in the United | | | | 1896, the herd numbered 300. In 1907, after the U.S. |
| States. History records that as many as 50,000 - | | | | government declined to purchase the bison herd, Pablo |
| 100,000 buffalo were executed per day, dependent on | | | | entered into a contract with the Canadian government |
| the season. The buffalo hunters left behind carcasses | | | | to ship the majority of his herd north to the newly built |
| that slowly decayed into giant piles of buffalo bones, | | | | Elk Island National Park. |
| making the prairie so white some said it looked as if it | | | | The present American Buffalo population has |
| were covered in snow even during the summer | | | | rebounded rapidly and is estimated at 350,000, |
| months. After the carcasses decayed, the buffalo | | | | compared to an estimated 75 to 100 million in the |
| bones were collected and shipped back east. | | | | mid-19th century. However, most of the current herds |
| Many of these professional hunters, such as Buffalo Bill | | | | are genetically polluted or partly crossbred with cattle. |
| Cody, slaughtered hundreds of animals at a single | | | | Presently there are only four genetically unmixed herds |
| stand and many thousands in their career. One proud | | | | and only one that is also free of brucellious; it resides in |
| professional hunter massacred over 20,000 by his | | | | the Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. A |
| own count. An average quality hide could bring $3 and | | | | founder population of 16 animals from the Wind Cave |
| a prime one (the heavy winter coat) could sell for $50 | | | | herd was recently established in Montana by the |
| in an era when a laborer would be fortunate to earn a | | | | American Prairie Association. |
| dollar a day. Greed is a great motivator. Many people | | | | The only continuously wild buffalo herd in America is |
| denounced the slaughter but few did anything actively | | | | located within Yellowstone National Park. Numbering |
| to stop the carnage. | | | | about 3,500, this herd is directly descended from a |
| The extermination of the American Buffalo was part | | | | remnant population of 23 individual buffalo that |
| of a diabolical plot by the United States Government to | | | | survived the mass annihilation of the 1800s by hiding |
| control the American Indian population. There were | | | | out in the Pelican Valley of Yellowstone Park. |
| government initiatives, at both the local and federal | | | | The buffalo of Yellowstone Park have occasionally |
| level, to starve the population of the Plains Indians by | | | | descended to lower elevations outside the park in |
| eliminating their main food source, the buffalo. The | | | | search of winter forage. The presence of wild buffalo |
| herds were the basis of the survival of the Plains | | | | outside the park is perceived as a threat by many |
| tribes. Without buffalo to feed and clothe them, the | | | | cattle ranchers, who fear that the small percentage of |
| Indians would be forced to leave or starve to death. | | | | bison that carry brucellosis will infect their livestock and |
| Because the Indians depended so much on the buffalo | | | | cause cows to abort their calves. However, there has |
| for their survival, their very religions were centered | | | | never been a documented case of brucellosis being |
| around the buffalo. The interdependence between | | | | transmitted to cattle from wild bison. The controversy |
| Indian and buffalo is exemplified in the poetic words of | | | | that began in the early 1980s continues to this day. |
| John Fire Lame Deer: | | | | Advocacy groups argue that the Yellowstone herd |
| "The buffalo gave us everything we needed. Without it | | | | should be protected as a distinct population segment |
| we were nothing. Our tipis were made of his skin. His | | | | under the Endangered Species Act. |
| hide was our bed, our blanket, our winter coat. It was | | | | In Montana, where public herds require culling to control |
| our drum, throbbing through the night, alive, holy. Out of | | | | the target bison population, hunting was re-established |
| his skin we made our water bags. His flesh | | | | in 2005. |
| strengthened us, became flesh of our flesh. Not the | | | | Buffalo live 15 to 20 years in the wild, although the |
| smallest part of it was wasted. His stomach, a red-hot | | | | average lifespan depends on local predators, hunting |
| stone dropped into it, became our soup kettle. His | | | | pressures and natural disasters. Bison have been |
| horns were our spoons, the bones our knives, our | | | | known to live up to 40 years in captivity. |
| women's awls and needles. Out of his sinews we | | | | The bison remains an icon of American culture, |
| made our bowstrings and thread. His ribs were | | | | however our past treatment of this majestic animal is |
| fashioned into sleds for our children, his hoofs became | | | | shameful. Hopefully we will carefully consider how to |
| rattles. His mighty skull, with the pipe leaning against it, | | | | ensure an ecological future for the buffalo and all the |
| was our sacred altar. The name of the greatest of all | | | | wild creatures that still inhabit our precious planet. |
| Sioux was Tatanka Iyotake--Sitting Bull. When you | | | | |