The history of the American Bison in North America is quite interesting. Even in 1804, the Lewis and Clarke Expedition saw vast Bison herds, often horizon to horizon. Buffalo hunting (hunting of the American bison) was an activity fundamental to the Indigenous peoples of the Plains, which was later adopted by American professional hunters as well as by the U.S. government to sabotage a central foodstuff of local tribes and force them into reservations, leading to the near-extinction of the species around 1890. Though buffalo were being slaughtered in masses, many tribes perceived the buffalo as part of the natural world—something guaranteed to them by the Creator. In fact, for some Plains indigenous peoples, bison are known as the first people. Many tribes did not grasp the concept of species extinction. Thus, when the buffalo began to disappear in great numbers, it was particularly harrowing to the tribes. As Crow chief Plenty Coups described it: "When the buffalo went away the hearts of my people fell to the ground, and they could not lift them up again. After this nothing happened. There was little singing anywhere." Spiritual loss was rampant; bison were an integral part of traditional tribal societies and they would frequently take part in ceremonies for each bison they killed to honor its sacrifice.
Today, many conservation measures have been taken by Native Americans with the Inter Tribal Bison Council being one of the most significant. It was formed in 1990, composed of 56 tribes in 19 states. These tribes represent a collective herd of more than 15,000 bison and focus on reestablishing herds on tribal lands in order to promote culture, revitalize spiritual solidarity, and restore the ecosystem. There was a time when the species almost didn’t make. I wish I could take a time machine back to see when the bison numbered close to 30 million! #americanbison #buffalo#americanwest #artofthehunt#americanbuffalo #buffalo #wildlifeart#yellowstonenationalpark #yellowstone
