by Heide Brandes
Before European colonization of North America, about 30 million to 60 million bison roamed the vast lands. Native American tribes relied on the animals for everything from meat to fur to ceremonial supplies and more. But by 1889, only 512 plains bison remained because of overhunting, a deliberate effort by the U.S. government to eliminate the animals in part to protect the expanding railroads and to subdue native peoples.
In the past several decades, however, conservationists and indigenous people have brought the plains bison back from the brink of extinction.
Through a federal grant awarded in January 2024, one Oklahoma tribal government is expanding the number of bison in the state even more. The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, which have a combined government with headquarters in Concho, are among three tribal communities nationwide to receive a total of $1.5 million aimed at expanding and sustaining their efforts to restore the bison population. With funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes will double the area of pasture to make room for growing their herd and will help fund a study on the feasibility of selling bison products to a wider Oklahoman market.
The Cheyenne and Arapaho herd numbers about 700 bison, making it one of the
largest herds in the state. Reggie Wassana, tribal governor, said the Cheyennes and Arapahos want to boost the herd’s numbers for various reasons and uses, although the ultimate goal is for the bison program to become self-sustainable and economically stable.
“We’ve always had a small herd, but we are growing. We bought an additional number of bison at an online auction in Foss, Oklahoma, and then we received some from Denver, Colorado,” he said. “We are also in a trade program with a rancher in Colorado so we can have different bloodlines.”
Most of the BIA funding will be used to erect fences for additional grazing land. Unlike cattle fences, bison fencing must be bigger and sturdier. At 1,000 pounds, a bison can easily go through a standard fence. “We appreciate the grant because now we can open up some more ground we own. The bison are not just set out on the range and left to care for themselves,” Wassana said. “You must maintain and watch them for any health issues or outbreaks. You have to check them for worms, you have to give them antibiotics. All that is very expensive.”
He hopes to grow the herd to more than 1,000 head, spread over tribal-owned land in Concho, Colony, and Kenton.
Infrastructure and Economics
“Basically, we started the herd for food sovereignty, ceremonial use, cultural use, and health use,” said Ryan Long, agricultural director for the tribe. “Most of the grant was written for infrastructure. So it will go toward securing water supplies, whether that be wells, rural water, solar pumps, or windmills, and then fencing.”
Bison could also be an economic boon for the tribe. In addition to the herd providing meat to tribal citizens, the tribes are conducting a study of the viability of selling bison meat and products to the public. The tribes use some bison each year for the
diabetes wellness program, elder nutrition program, and other food services. Bison are also used for ceremonial purposes. “I would like us to turn over 300 to 400 buffalo every year, whether it’s for processing for tribal program needs or for economic development as part of that processing,” Wassana said. “We’d like to look at producing jerky, buffalo burgers, or things like that and maybe sell the meat in specialty shops that want leaner meat.”
The Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho also received grant money for bison programs.
Photo by Heide Brandes.
Heritage and Culture
For the tribes in Oklahoma, the new funding also touches on the heritage of the tribe’s relationship with the animals.
“Buffalo are part of our heritage and our culture,” Wassana said. “On the plains, we looked to the buffalo for our livelihood, not just for food, but for everything we did.”
Buffalo herds are also tourism drivers in Oklahoma, and Cheyenne-Arapaho land isn’t the only place to see the animals. The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska is home to more than 2,600 bison that freerange on 24,000 acres, and Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge has about 650 bison. Other public areas to view bison include Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve, with a herd of about 125 near Bartlesville, the Iowa Tribe’s Grey Snow Eagle House in Perkins, Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Sulphur, Old West Buffalo Company in Pawhuska, and Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee.
