The history of the bison: A symbol of the American story

Transcription

1 The history of the bison: A symbol of the American story By Oliver Milman, The Guardian, adapted by Newsela staff on Word Count 811 A wild bison and her 8-day-old calf roam the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge outside Denver, Colorado, Aug. 6, Photo: REUTERS/U.S. Forest Service The United States has chosen the bison as its first national mammal. The bison will symbolize the country and share the honor with the bald eagle. Just over 100 years ago, bison were almost extinct in the United States. A bison, also known as a buffalo, can weigh 2,000 pounds, stand 6 feet tall, and has a coarse beard and a pair of curved horns. Congressman William Clay is an advocate for the animal and says, No other indigenous species tells America s story. At least 30 million bison once roamed across the land that would later become the U.S. President George Washington once shot a bison in what is now West Virginia. Then, bison were slaughtered by hunters and ravaged by disease as settlers moved west. Within a century, the numbers dropped steeply, and by 1889, it was estimated that just over 1,000 bison were left.

2 A Resource For Native Americans The U.S. Army had an official policy of wiping out bison in order to break the will of the Native American tribes. Native Americans relied on the animals for food, clothing, tools and spiritual health. There were no restrictions on bison hunting, and a skilled hunter could kill 250 of the animals in a day. One person from Kansas managed to shoot 120 bison in just 40 minutes. The animals tongues were highly prized, as were the hides, which were sent back to factories in the east to make leather. Jim Stone is the executive director of the Inter Tribal Buffalo Council. The group is made up of 58 Native American tribes in 19 states, and works to re-establish buffalo herds on American Indian lands. He says, There was no way for us to sustain ourselves when the buffalo were exterminated, so we handed over vast tracts of land." Stone says, Our relationship with buffalo has been there since time immemorial. Our creation stories involve us living underground with them and coming to the surface of Earth with them." Many tribes modeled their family structures on the bison, viewing the animal as a family-orientated, healthy creature that was to be carefully managed. That connection was broken by the arrival of European settlers, and Stone s tribe, the Yankton-Sioux, was unable to raise a bison for more than a century after that. He says, It s not a good story. Our social structure was destroyed. When we bring the buffalo back, we ll bring the people back because we ll relearn how to structure our lives. Trying To Protect The Species The turning point came at the start of the 20th century. John Muir, a natural history scientist, future president Theodore Roosevelt and William Hornaday, first director of the Bronx Zoo, all drew attention to the bison. The American Bison Society was then formed. It was possibly the first attempt at recovering a species. Bison were bred at the Bronx Zoo, and transported into newly protected areas. A herd of two dozen bison in Yellowstone was supplemented with others, and now the group numbers more than 5,000. Keith Aune is director of bison programs at the Wildlife Conservation Society, a group that helps to protect wild places around the world. Aune says, People started to speak out, to say it wasn t good for the country to kill off the bison. He says, Around 1900, people

3 started to think differently about nature and they got active on the political stage. The whole idea that nature had to be conserved in some places started to take root." Thirty years later, the American Bison Society thought its work was done, so it closed down. Looking For More Attention The initial conservation effort protected wild buffalo and created a network of national parks across America s west. The animals' numbers grew and then evened out. There are now 30,000 that roam free, including on tribal land, and 400,000 more that are raised on ranches. The buffalo were sidelined as the conservation movement grew and focused on other kinds of animals. However, the American Bison Society is now re-established and fighting to get more attention for the buffalo. The national mammal designation will help that effort, but offers no new protections. Aune points out that there are only eight bison herds that are not fenced in, and worries that if they are too isolated, they will lose the ability to adapt and survive. These animals can deal with climate change and their grazing has benefits to the ecosystem for birds, prairie dogs and other creatures. They are also healthy to eat. Our hope is that the profile will be increased and people won t forget the bison again, he says. Stone hopes that Americans can manage more of the animals in a traditional way, and says the national mammal status has meaning. He says, It will help us create forums in schools, help us talk about the buffalo culture in today's society.

4 Quiz 1 Which of the following choices BEST explains why the bison was chosen as a national mammal? The bison has been chosen to symbolize the United States along with the bald eagle. Also known as a buffalo, a bison can weigh 2,000 pounds and stand 6 feet tall. Some people believe that the bison represents the history of the United States. Many people, including George Washington, hunted the bison and it nearly became extinct. 2 Which sentence from the section A Resource For Native Americans BEST describes how Native Americans were affected by the hunting of bison? Native Americans relied on the animals for food, clothing, tools and spiritual health. Many tribes modeled their family structures on the bison, viewing the animal as a family-orientated, healthy creature that was to be carefully managed. He says, There was no way for us to sustain ourselves when the buffalo were exterminated, so we handed over vast tracts of land." That connection was broken by the arrival of European settlers, and Stone s tribe, the Yankton-Sioux, was unable to raise a bison for more than a century after that. 3 Which answer choice BEST expresses two MAIN ideas of the article? The near-extinction of the bison negatively impacted Native Americans; groups took action to conserve the bison. Native Americans relied on the bison for survival; the bison will become a national symbol of the United States. The bison will become a national symbol of the United States; today bison are no longer in danger. Bison are plentiful in the United States today; the U.S. Army wiped out the bison to harm Native Americans.

5 4 Which answer choice would be MOST important to include in a summary of the section Looking For More Attention? Although the bison was nearly eliminated, it can handle climate change and is healthy to eat. Although there are many bison alive in the United States today, the species still needs to be protected. The national status of the bison will help people realize how important this animal is to the United States. The initial conservation effort protected wild bison and created national parks for them to live in.