A temperature of 13 below didn’t deter Assiniboine and Sioux Tribal members, reporters, camera crews and advocates as they assembled to witness the arrival of 136 wild, genetically pure bison at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation on Thursday, November 13. In fact, the frigid temperature reinforced the camaraderie and anticipation while awaiting the bison’s return to their historic home on the Great Plains after nearly 130 years’ absence.

At 7:30 a.m. Jonathan Proctor, Defenders’ Rockies and Plains program director and I met several camera crews, local reporters and staff from our partners at National Wildlife Federation and World Wildlife Fund in our hotel lobby to drive 45 minutes to the remote bison reserve. We reached the reserve about an hour before the two semi-trucks full of bison were due to arrive. With the morning sun just starting to warm the frozen blades of grass, Jonathan and I talked with reporters and connected with members of the Tribes anxiously awaiting the bison’s return.

The bison’s journey to their eventual release at Fort Peck that Thursday began nearly a decade ago, 500 miles away in Yellowstone National Park.

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The Yellowstone bison are the wild descendants of the bison that roamed the West hundreds of years ago. And unlike most bison we see today, Yellowstone’s herd contains no traces of cattle genes, and remains wild. Conservationists and scientists agree that the conservation of this iconic American species will require restoring Yellowstone bison to more places.

Though the value of the pure Yellowstone bison is widely agreed upon, orchestrating the recovery of this species has been complicated. Yellowstone bison have been banned from venturing beyond Park boundaries for decades amid exaggerated fears of disease spreading to cattle, and bison competing with cattle for grazing space.

Thankfully, in 2005 Montana’s Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) launched an experimental quarantine program to see whether it is possible to certify some bison as disease free. This would enable the transport of disease-free bison to start new conservation herds elsewhere. They captured about 100 bison in 2005 and 2006. After a five-year testing period to ensure all bison were disease free, the first half were ready to go to a new home, but no locations were ready to take them. CNN executive and philanthropist Ted Turner offered to hold these bison on his Montana ranch for an additional five years until new sites were ready. The second half was ready to go to a new home in late 2011. Only one location was ready: Fort Peck Indian Reservation. In March 2012, the tribes received 61 bison with great celebration.

Long before the state of Montana had even begun a bison restoration plan, the tribes knew they wanted to help bring bison back to their land. Because of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes’ historical and cultural dependence on bison, Fort Peck has been a continuing advocate for their return to the Great Plains. With last week’s transfer, they now manage the largest Yellowstone bison conservation herd in the state outside of the Park.

By the time two huge double decker semi-trucks crested the hill leading to the bison reserve, entire families and members of Fort Peck’s tribal council were waiting. A local schoolteacher even took the day off to be part of the event and as the first bison exited the truck, tears rolled down her cheeks.

As the bison continued to roar down the ramp out of the trucks, tribal members sang and drummed traditional songs to welcome them. In all, the release took about two hours. You can be sure that not a single bison looked back as they left the trailers into their new home!

Here’s a video of the release:

Although that Thursday was the end of a very long journey for these 136 bison, it’s only the beginning for bison conservation in Montana. Once Fort Peck’s herd of Yellowstone bison grows to a larger size, the tribes can start sharing bison with other tribes or public land agencies with enough land and interest in restoring this iconic species across more of the West.

The release shows that change really can begin with the vision and willpower of a principled few. With the support of groups like Defenders of Wildlife, and the willingness of FWP, the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes were able to bring these bison back home, with visionary plans for expansion. And that’s a legacy that should bring pride to all Montanans.

Melanie Gade is a Communications Specialist at Defenders of Wildlife

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