Buffalo Management Program

The Nation maintains a buffalo herd within the Reservation on 420 acres of Tribal land. The herd has grown to over 200  head since the introduction to their present site located on both sides of N Road, and the north side of 150 Road. The tribe began the herd with the donation of three buffalo from the Kickapoo Tribe in the early 1980s which were kept by the Road and Bridge Department. In 1993 the Nation joined the IInter Tribal Bison Cooperative(ITBC) to obtain surplus buffalo from the National Parks system. The initial animals, numbering 13 head came from Bad Lands National Park and following four years later, two more loads came from Wind Cave National Park, which are both located in South Dakota. The animals are selectively harvested throughout the year for ceremonial use and to provide meat for the established priorities. Goat chee gah yuk is the Potawatomi words for a lot of Buffalo.

In 2008 studies were being conducted to improve acreage for the herd in conjunction with the Tribal Council and experts from Kansas State University who maintain a large herd on the Konza Prairie. Items being examined in the study were in regards to grass management for year-round buffalo feeding and perhaps separating a part of the herd to another location.

The buffalo has been historically a part of the Nation, in culture, language and beliefs.
Through the mission statement of the ITBC, buffalo were introduced back to Indian lands.

The herd is cared for by the Lands Management staff and below is an excerpt taken from the 2008 first quarter report by an employee to the General Manager that describes the work that was actually done to care for the buffalo.

During the first quarter the buffalo have been fed approximately 126 bales of native and brome big round bales.  This comes to 81.9 tons of grass fed to the herd throughout the first part of the year.  Along with the hay the buffalo have been fed 100 lbs. of alfalfa cubes per week totaling 1400 lbs. for the first quarter.  

With this winter being a rather harsh winter there has been an increase in pasture and fence maintenance.  With the freezing ice storms and strong winds there were a lot of limbs breaking off and landing on the fence which, in return, required some close monitoring to ensure the safety of the herd.

There was an opportunity for the program to participate in donating some harvested meat to Haskell and KU universities for the Indigenous Summit.  With pride this program was able to donate 150 lbs. of buffalo meat to show its support for not only the community within the reservation but also surrounding community as well.

Currently there is a plan being designed to ensure the highest quality of not only the lives of the buffalo but the highest standards as to lands that the herd currently is staged on as well.  Contractors are being contacted and quotes are being looked over for the possibilities to remove some, if not all, of the herd during certain parts of the year to make certain that these highest qualities are reached.