https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/bison-repopulation-alberta-1.6856433
'It's been a long time since large herds of bison roamed what is now Treaty 7
territory in Alberta, but Clayton Whitney, manager of the Tsuut'ina Nation's
buffalo paddock, can see the impact reintroduction projects are having on the
bison population and the surrounding wildlife.
"It's amazing how much animals want to come on this side of the fence with the
bison," he told
The Current. "We get everything from cougars and bears and
moose and deer, elk."
There was a point in time when as many as 60 million bison roamed the North
American Great Plains, a flatland region that includes Alberta, Saskatchewan
and several U.S. states. Travellers described hearing the sound of their hoof
prints before they saw them, like creeping thunder.
But due, in part, to the over-hunting of bison — which coincided with
government efforts to force Indigenous peoples onto reserves — their numbers
significantly dropped. According to the
Canadian Encyclopedia, plains bison
didn't exist in Canada by the late 1800s, and the population of wood bison were
as low as 200.
"When the buffalo was first taken away, our way of life was severely impacted,"
said Violet Meguinis, the consultation director for Tsuut'ina Nation. "We used
to follow the buffalo…. Wherever it roamed and we followed it. We got
everything off the buffalo."
"Then, the newcomers came and then the treaties were signed and we were put on
little tracts of land and we couldn't follow the buffalo," she added. Bison was
a significant food and clothing resource for some Indigenous peoples.
In recent years, several bison reintroduction projects have started — often led
by Indigenous peoples like the Tsuut'ina Nation.
Thanks to their efforts, there are close to 370 bison on the ground in their
buffalo paddock alone, and they're aiming for 160 calves by the end of the
year.
Tsuut'ina Nation is also helping other Indigenous groups, such as Onion Lake
Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, reintroduce bison to their lands, with some
success.'
Via
Future Crunch:
<
https://futurecrunch.com/goodnews-stunting-ocean-australia-wind-solar-europe/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
