BRINGING BACK THE BUFFALO PART 2

Breaking the Glass Case | Alexandra Forand

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In the last segment of “Breaking the Glass Case” we discussed the different ways in which Prairie Peoples utilized buffalo and where those artifacts are held today—namely, museums. In this blog I would like to venture outside and would like to look at where living buffalos reside in Canada, because despite destruction of habitat, disease, and over hunting in the 18th, 19th, and 20th century the buffalo still have a place in Canada.

There are many restoration projects being done in Canada to reintroduce the buffalo and stabilize their numbers. Each restoration project is intensive and there is no guarantee that the animals will thrive in the terrain. Some restoration efforts have been tried and stood the test of time, such as the Elk Island National Park located 35 kilometers east of Edmonton, Alberta, along the Yellowhead highway. In the early 20th century the Canadian government purchased a herd of buffalo from Montana, who were the ancestors of the buffalo in the park today. The park grew around this herd. Elk Island National Park has exported ungulates, especially buffalo, to other conservation efforts around the world. Today, Elk Island is a is a fully enclosed national park spanning an area of 194 square kilometers and the population of buffalo fluctuates between 350- 450.

At Elk Island National Park it is not uncommon to see these gentle giants at large! (source.)

Other restoration efforts are newer such as the Nature Conservatory of Canada’s (NCC) efforts. The NCC was established in 1962. In 1996, Peter and Sharon Butula donated 3,088 acres of land to the NCC in southwestern Saskatchewan.  In 2003, the NCC introduced a genetically pure herd of buffalo from Elk Island National Park to this area. Today, interpreters are available to lead visitors on tours to experience the vastness of the land and see the buffalo.

A unique project in the way of buffalo restoration is being done by Wanuskewin Heritage Park in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In 2017, The park was granted a 99 year lease of agricultural land from the city of Saskatoon. This land is being restored to native prairie, meaning no chemical pesticides of herbicides are being used to control weeds. Beyond providing the land, Wanuskewin is partnering with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to best provide for the buffalo. 

Pictured above is the natural plains which span Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba (source).

This project was inspired by the growing movement to bring the buffalo closer to home. Brady Highway, the resource management coordinator of Wanuskewin explains that there are many reasons in which it is important to bring buffalo closer to home.

The buffalo are spiritually connected and are teachers to the Prairie Peoples. These animals work to restore aspects of spiritual and cultural structure that has been lost since European settlement. Secondly, the restoration of the buffalo can signal a much bigger change for the way in which Prairie Peoples are viewed by the dominant settler culture. The reintroduction also works to revitalize Prairie Peoples’ traditions that were outlawed by the colonial state of Canada. Lastly, Bison are also natural ecologists, and they help keep the land healthy and strong. 

A mother and her calf (source).

The three examples of buffalo reintroduction span nearly 100 years—and in the case of Wanuskewin—into the future. These projects are incredibly important for the survival of buffalo, but also the survival of Prairie Peoples’ cultures, traditions, and histories. Furthermore, the collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous parties helps to aid in the reconciliation process moving forward.

I hope this two part series showed you how important buffalo were, and are, to Prairie Peoples’ lives. Have you been to any of the places I’ve mentioned? Do you plan on going? Let me know! Contact me at allyforand@gmail.com or if Twitter and Instagram are more your speed my handle on both is @Ally_but_online.

A special thanks to Brady Highway at Wanuskewin Heritage Park!