The bison leaped into a grass-lined trailer. As the truck pulled away, tribal leaders sang a sacred song for a safe journey. The 10 bison were on their way from Colorado to Oklahoma, a gift from the city of Denver to the Kiowa Nation to help form its first herd in more than 150 years.
鈥淚t was a very moving event. People were crying,鈥� said Rick Williams, a member of the Oglala Lakota and Northern Cheyenne tribes who founded the Colorado-based organization and attended the bison transfer in March.
The donation is part of a larger effort to return bison to Indigenous lands and stewardship. Between 30 and 60 million of these animals once roamed the continent before they were driven to near extinction in the late 19th century by hunting and violence against tribes.
鈥淭he buffalo were a sacred animal to us,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淭hey provided all of our economy and our lifestyle and everything that we needed to survive in our lives.鈥�
The city and county of Denver has two bison herds that are descended from the last wild bison in North America at Yellowstone National Park. They were originally located in a city park but were moved to two mountain parks in the foothills in 1914 and 1938 where a few dozen still live.
Denver historically sold off "surplus" bison each year at auction to maintain the size and genetics of the herd.
鈥淐owboys would show up in their 10-gallon hats and their boots and their big belt buckles with their checkbook,鈥� said Scott Gilmore, a deputy executive director for Denver Parks and Recreation, which manages the bison herds.
But that changed a few years ago. In 2018, Denver gave one bison to the in Colorado, which has members from several tribes. In 2020, the city held its final bison auction. Now it donates all surplus animals to tribes for conservation herds.
Since 2018, Denver has given 140 bison to 10 tribes, including the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming, a nonprofit on the Standing Rock Reservation, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in Montana and the Tall Bull Memorial Council. This year, the city transferred 23 bison to tribes.
鈥淔or me, this is probably one of the most spectacular, just amazing projects that we could ever work on,鈥� Gilmore said, noting that it鈥檚 important for the city to go beyond land acknowledgments.
The city has help from the InterTribal Buffalo Council with the transfers and identifying tribes to receive the bison. The organization was established more than 30 years ago to return bison to tribal lands for cultural and environmental benefits. Ervin Carlson, the president of the council and a member of the Blackfeet Nation, said the movement has seen significant growth recently.
About three to four new tribes join each year, and now 86 member tribes manage 25,000 bison in total. Just last year, the organization helped move 1,100 bison to tribal lands.
There are certainly challenges, Carlson said. Transferred bison need proper veterinary checks and to meet distinct requirements for each state. Some tribes lack the land base for the animals they want to return.
While Interior Secretary Deb Haaland under President Biden announced federal support and funding for bison restoration, it鈥檚 not clear what role the Trump Administration will play in these efforts.
But Carlson said partnerships like ones with the city of Denver, national parks and the Nature Conservancy to bring bison to tribal lands are making a difference.
鈥淚t's of great importance for us to help the tribes reconnect and get buffalo back on their lands,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big part of our culture for so many years that has been gone, and for us to return them is a very historic thing.鈥�
This story was produced by the Mountain West 暗黑爆料 Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio (KNPR) in Las Vegas, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West 暗黑爆料 Bureau is provided in part by the .
