Art by: Shabs Beigh
Brief History of Bison in the US
Figure 1: Bison Map, Buffalo Field Campaign, Image by Steve Levi
Bison used to inhabit a large range across the United States, but their population declined significantly due to the impact of white European settlement. During the same period, as bison were being hunted and killed, Native Americans were also forcefully removed from their land and relocated onto reservations. This was not a mere coincidence. The extermination of bison was not only for their pelts, meat, and bones, but it was also a strategic effort to control Native Americans. Colonel Dodge stated, “Every buffalo dead is an Indian gone” (All about Bison, n.d.). It is essential to acknowledge the history of bison in relation to the Indigenous people. John Fire Lame Deer, a part of the Lakota tribe, explained that
“The buffalo gave us everything we needed. Without it we were nothing. Our tipis were made of his skin. His hide was our bed, our blanket, our winter coat. It was our drum, throbbing through the night, alive, holy. Out of his skin we made our water bags. His flesh strengthened us, became flesh of our flesh. Not the smallest part of it was wasted. His stomach, a red-hot stone dropped in to it, became our soup kettle. His horns were our spoons, the bones our knives, our women’s awls and needles. Out of his sinews we made our bowstrings and thread. His ribs were fashioned into sleds for our children, his hoofs became rattles. His mighty skull, with the pipe leaning against it, was our sacred altar. The name of the greatest of all Sioux was Tatanka Iyotake—Sitting Bull. When you killed off the buffalo you also killed the Indian—the real, natural, ‘wild’ Indian,” (Buffalo Field Campaign, n.d.).
The establishment of railways in the American West brought European settlers to the region, leading to conflicts between the Indigenous peoples and the settlers as the Native Americans were being displaced from their lands. The US army engaged in attacks against the Plains tribes to assert control, viewing their nomadic lifestyle as a threat and aiming to assimilate them by relocating them to reservations. This conflict, which began in the 1860s and lasted about 30 years, resulted in the drastic reduction of the bison population from hundreds of thousands to around 1,000 by 1889 (Digital History, n.d.). The decline of the bison greatly impacted the Plains Tribes and contributed to their defeat by the US Army. Following their defeat, the tribes were involuntarily relocated to less fertile lands where many succumbed to diseases. The bison, which the tribes relied on for sustenance, were no longer abundant, as their habitats were diminished to only a few areas.
Photo by: Unknown // Photo edited by User: PawełMM /Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library
Colonialists massacred both indigenous peoples and bison, and that history cannot be separated nor ignored.
In the United States, Yellowstone National Park is the only place where wild bison have continuously lived. The park was established in 1872, and even though bison were still being hunted there, a small population survived. By 1884, only 25 wild bison remained in the park, but Congress ordered the Army to protect them from human threats. Eventually, the bison population in Yellowstone made a comeback, reaching an estimated 4,000 bison (Buffalo Field Campaign, 2023).
Photo by: NPS / Jim Peaco
Brief History of Wolves in the US
Figure 2: Curt Bradley, Center for Biological Diversity
In 1630, the first bounty was placed on wolves in Massachusetts. By the mid-1800s, different states began to establish bounty systems for wolves. When Yellowstone National Park was established, the government excluded wolves and other predators from protection. Typically, hunters used guns, dogs, traps, and poison to kill wolves. Between 1870 and 1877, hunters killed an estimated 100,000 wolves annually (International Wolf Center, n.d.). In 1915, the US government hired wolf hunters, leading to the death of around 24,000 wolves. Then, in 1926, the last wolf in Yellowstone was killed, marking their eradication from the park.
Photo by: © Arizona Historical Society
In 1973, the Endangered Species Act was passed, and by 1974 wolves were listed as Endangered under the Act. Wolf recovery plans were drafted to boost their populations. Then, in 1995, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone and Idaho, and they began to make a comeback.
Photo by: NPS
In 2020, Trump’s administration removed wolves from the Endangered Species Act, but a federal judge blocked that decision, excluding the Northern Rocky Mountain region (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming). Recently, the House of Representatives approved a bill removing wolves from the Endangered Species Act, but the Biden administration opposes the bill.
Like Bison, Native Americans have had a relationship with wolves that cannot be ignored. “All Plains tribes examined closely have stories that describe wolves as guides, protectors, or entities that directly taught or showed humans how to hunt after humans arrived in the Americas” (Fogg, 2023). Many Indigenous Nations understand the ecological importance of wolves, and some have actively worked on reintroducing wolves to their original range. In Idaho, the Nez Perce tribe worked on successful reintroduction of wolves and contributed to their recovery for over a decade. Today, many tribes strongly oppose anti-wolf legislation.
Photo by: © Nez Perce Tribe
Intertwined History of Wolves and Bison
Both wolves and bison have a long history of persecution. Despite their significance to the original inhabitants of the land, the government has historically targeted both animals. On top of this, their eradications were linked. “In the Southwest, as settlers depleted bison, elk, deer, and moose populations – the wolves’ natural prey – the predators turned more and more to picking off livestock” (PBS, 2008). One of the factors contributing to wolves killing livestock was the scarcity of their natural prey. Wolves typically prefer to hunt wild prey, even when livestock is readily available (Janeiro-Otero, 2020), but with the decline of bison, one of the wolves’ primary sources of food in the Great Plains region, they resorted to preying on the only other available food source: livestock. This provided humans with more justification to eradicate wolves in extensive numbers. The same poison used to kill wolves inadvertently led to the death of many bison, as it contaminated the grass they consumed (NPS, 2021).
Why it Matters
Both animals are considered keystone species, meaning their presence has a cascading effect on their ecosystems. Bison have been shown to influence plant life across their range, making the habitat suitable for many species. As they migrate, they aerate the soil and disperse seeds. Wolves directly and indirectly affect their ecosystems by hunting their prey. They have been shown to influence deer, elk, and other prey populations and behavior, having an overwhelming effect on their environment.
Besides having a positive impact on the environment, they are culturally, spiritually, and historically important Native Americans, the original inhabitants of the United States.
What You Can Do
In order to ensure wolves are in our future, we must adopt methods to coexist. The Wood River Wolf Project has been successfully utilizing non-lethal methods to protect livestock since 2008. Supporting this project will help promote peaceful coexistence between wolves, ranchers, and livestock.
The Buffalo Field Campaign, established as a non-profit in 1997, has been dedicated to defending bison. Their primary objective is to prevent the harassment and killing of Yellowstone’s wild bison by protecting their habitat and collaborating with Indigenous Nations. They strategically protect bison in the field, in the political arena and courts, and in the public mind. This organization could use your support in protecting the remaining wild bison.
Despite the challenges faced by wolves and bison in the past and present, they have shown resilience. Both species have rebounded, and despite ongoing threats, they are here to stay.
References:
All about Bison (n.d.). Bison History Timeline. https://allaboutbison.com/bison-in-history/bison-timeline/
Buffalo Field Campaign (n.d.). Buffalo & Native Americans. https://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/buffalo-and-native-americans
Buffalo Field Campaign (2023). Yellowstone National Park’s Bison Population Status Report. https://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/yellowstone-national-park-s-bison-population-status-report
Digital History (n.d.). A Thirty Years War. https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?
Defenders of Wildlife (n.d.). Bison. https://defenders.org/wildlife/bison?
Flores, D. (1991). Bison Ecology and Bison Diplomacy: The Southern Plains from 1800 to 1850. The Journal of American History, 78(2), 465-485. https://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/legal/esacitations/floresbisonecology.pdf
Fogg, B. R., Howe, N., & Pierotti, R. (2023). Relationships between Indigenous American Peoples and Wolves 1: Wolves as Teachers and Guides. Sage Journal, 35(2). https://doi.org/10.2993/etbi-35-02-262-285.1
International Wolf Center (n.d.). Gray Wolf Timeline for the Contiguous United States. https://wolf.org/wolf-info/gray-wolf-timeline/
Janeiro-Otero, A., Newsome, T. N., Eeden, L. M., Ripple, W. J., & Dormann, C. F. (2020). Grey wolf (Canis lupus) predation on livestock in relation to prey availability. Biological Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108433
Living With Wolves (n.d.). Wolves, A Keystone Species. https://www.livingwithwolves.org/wolves-a-keystone-species/#:~:text=UNDERSTANDING%20HOW%
National Parks Service (2021, January 26). What Happened to the Bison? https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/what-happened-to-the-bison.htm
Nez Perce Tribe (n.d.). The Homecoming of Hîmiin. Nez Perce Wildlife. https://www.nezpercewildlife.org/gray-wolf
PBS (2008, September 14). Wolf Wars: America’s Campaign to Eradicate the Wolf. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/the-wolf-that-changed-america-wolf-wars-americas-campaign-to-eradicate-the-wolf/4312/
Richmond, T. (2024, April 30). US House votes to remove wolves from endangered list in 48 states. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/wolves-endangered-species-bill-house-vote-e859ebc412c9c02344678e4070ce1657
Wolf Stuff (n.d.). GREAT PLAINS WOLF. https://wolf-stuff.com/blogs/wolf-facts/great-plains-wolf
