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| Why are they killing the last wild buffalo? by Clarice Villac on 02 February 2001 @ 03:28 AM STOP THE SLAUGHTER – BUFFALO FIELD CAMPAIGN http://www.wildrockies.org/Buffalo "The buffalo so near fills the landscape. There is no frame around him of the sort a camera makes. He is not to be captured; not to become a memory, an object of study .... Framed by the earth, he makes a picture so big, it can only be seen with the heart." Ruth Rudner, in the recent book "Chorus of Buffalo" *** "With that annihilation still fresh in history, the recent slaughter of 1/3 of the wild Yellowstone buffalo is very troubling to tribal people. This is yet another genocidal assault on native cultures. As Yellowstone National Park celebrates it's 125th anniversary, Native Americans shudder as they watch history repeat itself. Americans are alarmed that Montana State officials can attack national heritage and show disregard for a species so vital to this ecosystem. In the midst of political and scientific complexities, one reality remains clear and simple - the buffalo are being killed. We will help strengthen the tribal voices in the protection of the sacred Yellowstone buffalo. Buffalo Field Campaign (formerly Buffalo Nations) Buffalo Field Campaign will also help tribal and non tribal voices unite together to speak out strongly for the buffalo." *** -Winona LaDuke wrote: Buffalo are animals of deep religious and cultural significance to Native peoples across the continent. The killing of 2/3 of the last remaining wild herd at Yellowstone National Park has caused severe anguish and grief throughout Indian Country. While the herd has been blessed with a mild winter and no killings this year, buffalo that leave Yellowstone National Park to search for food during the winter months are still at risk of being slaughtered. Time is running out for Yellowstone's buffalo. The National Park Service is currently completing its revised, long-term plan to manage the buffalo that wander out of the park. Capture and slaughter of buffalo remain central management options in this plan. Tribal voices have been unanimous in stating that any killing is unacceptable--and unnecessary. But tribal recommendations for humane and viable solutions have been virtually ignored. (...) *** "The timing is critical and action must be taken quickly. At this moment, the National Park Service is finalizing its long-term management plan to deal with the bison crisis. Although we commend the Park Service for distancing itself from state-sanctioned killing, the most recent modified preferred alternative for managing bison retains lethal controls as a core management option. We find the fact that there has never been a single documented case of brucellosis transmission from buffalo to cattle in the wild an important fact when considering so dramatic an alternative as herd population reduction by lethal controls. Tribes have expressed unanimous opposition to any killing and cited the absence of a scientific premise as underscoring the unfounded, political nature of the slaughter. The Yellowstone herd, as survivors of past massacres, is genetically the strongest of buffalo and the wellspring for the recovery of this animal. The large scale and repeated destruction of this herd represents a threat to the long term viability of buffalo populations in North America. It is ecological folly, and for those of us who have learned to face history, a painful reminder of past, unnecessary violence in America." *** IN THIS SITE, YOU CAN SEE HOW A GROUP OF PERSONS IS WORKING HARD TO PROTECT THE LAST WILD BUFFALOS, and they also provide updates from the Field, so you can follow their steps during all days of the year! Letters are needed to public servants making decisions about the last wild buffalo! Thank you for speaking out in behalf of those that stand quietly in the snow... *** |
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