Clara Caufield
Senseless slaughter of buffalo haunts tribal leaders
By Clara Caufield
A Cheyenne Voice LAME DEER, Mont. - In early April an estimated nine buffalo from the Northern Cheyenne tribal herd were slaughtered on the Reservation. According to Mark Roundstone, Acting Natural Resources Director, the carcasses were left to rot. “We estimate that was 1,500—2,000 pounds of meat,” he said. Roundstone said the incident occurred in the Logging Creek area, a remote part of the Reservation located near the Ashland Flats. Jimmy Robinson, a rancher leasing tribal land in this area discovered the carcasses on a Saturday and they were already decomposing. Robinson then alerted his brother Tracy Robinson, a Tribal Council member, who in turn advised the Tribal Natural Resources Department. Jimmy Robinson speculated that the incident occurred on Friday night because he had checked his calving cattle earlier on Friday noticing nothing unusual. On Saturday morning he discovered the horrific buffalo kill in the same area. He saw additional animals, apparently wounded, wandering slowly behind the main herd, stopping to rest, but not eating or drinking, indication of severe stress. From all appearances, a semi-automatic weapon was used. On Monday, Roundstone met with another tribal council member, Vernon Small who had learned of the incident over the weekend. While he was investigating Small discovered another buffalo mortally wounded. He dispatched that one, salvaging the meat, but the other two wounded bison had apparently wandered off most likely dying in secluded ravines. While Small could not be reached for comment, his wife Teresa, Northern Cheyenne, said “Vernon was very concerned about this incident. That is why he and his son, Eli, went out on Saturday and found the wounded buffalo at the request of local law enforcement. The meat from that animal has been processed and will be distributed to the needy.” With scant information about the actual kill location, it took Roundstone and crew a few days to find the grisly scene: three bison rotting in the hot sun: a healthy bull estimated 3-4 years old and two cows, estimated from 5-8 years old. The cows were pregnant with full udders ready to calve, making for a total of five animals. By then, it was impossible to salvage any meat or hides, but the heads were taken. The bull buffalo skull, he explained will be used in Cheyenne ceremonies. Few clues were at the site: rain and snow over the weekend washed away tire tracks; there was no garbage or debris and all shell cases or “brass” had been collected. Thus, crime investigation will be difficult. Under the Northern Cheyenne Law and Order Code, poaching of Tribal Bison is a Class A offense, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000.00 fine. Roundstone noted that this law has never been prosecuted in the Tribal Courts, in spite of some fairly clear cases. This is the largest single massacre of tribal bison and in his view, the most horrific and unacceptable. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe originally acquired buffalo in the 1970’s from a private benefactor, T.R. Hughes, a Nebraska buffalo producer and advocate. He first donated fourteen animals. Later, he made a second gift of ten animals and the Tribe stepped up management efforts, setting aside a buffalo pasture by obtaining funding and assistance from the Inter-tribal Bison Cooperative. Hughes recalls that he and the Tribe entered into a partnership, but after a few years that was not successful, one reason being re-occurring poaching and many buffalo wandering into the vast reservation lands. Hughes then subsidized a tribal buffalo manager for several years. When that agreement ended, Hughes and the Tribe split the herd, than about 100 animals. “I am honored to have had the opportunity to assist the Northern Cheyenne in re-connecting with their sacred animal.” Hughes solemnly noted. Since then the tribal herd has grown to about 160 animals. While not commercially successful, dividends to tribal members have been significant. Roundstone reports that from 45—50 mature bulls are harvested each year for a variety of purposes: ceremonies; charitable fundraising; meat for the elderly and Head Start Programs; powwows, Veterans victory celebrations and public events. From time-to-time the Tribe donates a buffalo hunt. Recently, a tribal hunt auctioned in Sheridan, Wyoming at a fundraiser conducted by tribal musician Gay Small for $5,500 to assist the victims of the 2012 Ash Creek Fire devastating to the Reservation and surrounding communities. Indian and non-Indian alike in the area benefited from the proceeds. Funding for herd management has been perennial problem. In 2006, the Tribe turned the Buffalo Herd over to the Tribal Natural Resources Department and dedicated 18,000 acres for a buffalo pasture. “The buffalo pasture is only partially fenced and we do not have a wildlife corral to handle the buffalo. Such a corral has to be very sturdy and solid. If wild buffalo, such as ours, can see daylight, they will kill themselves trying to escape” Roundstone explained. As a result, he can only monitor the wild herd on a regular basis and implement the approved harvest of animals. “We honor all requests within reason, but this case is pure disrespect for everything Cheyenne,” he sighed. Roundstone (Red Elk) is deeply troubled by this wanton and senseless act of vandalism and animal cruelty. On one hand, as Tribal Wildlife Administrator, he is the key tribal staff member responsible for oversight of the Tribe’s buffalo herd. However, this latest disaster weighs more heavily on him in his role as Headsman for the Northern Cheyenne Bowstring Military Society. The Bowstrings are one of the traditional Cheyenne military societies charged with protecting and guiding Northern Cheyenne ceremonial practices including a specific honoring ceremony for the taking of a buffalo. The Military Societies now include the Crazy Dogs, the Dog Soldiers, Kitfox, Swiftfox, Elk Horn Scrapers and Bowstrings. These traditional groups are also active on a number of historic preservation issues and contemporary cultural matters. Each Society selects a Headsman, a position of honor and leadership. As a Headsman, Roundstone conducted a special ceremony for the massacred buffalo. “I went out and asked for forgiveness from them” he explained. “I opened a door so they could go in a good way.” Roundstone was careful to say that more details about such ceremonies are reserved for Cheyenne ceremonial men. He added “We have a Sacred Female Buffalo Hat, our Grandmother. We are people of the Buffalo. For thousands of years, the Buffalo took care of us, helping us survive. Now it is our responsibility to take care of them. In the future they will save us again, because buffalo meat is the healthiest meat for Indians and all people to eat.” Tribal President Llevando “Cowboy” Fisher agrees, “We cannot and will not tolerate this type of crime.” Roundstone speculates that the culprit may have been a young tribal member(s). Very few non-members, he thinks would have been in that remote area of the Reservation on a Friday evening. If poached by an older Cheyenne, the meat would have been harvested, he said. “This crime was committed by a person(s) with little or no understanding of Cheyenne values. I hope this person understands that the buffalo, the Tribe and all of our people have been harmed by this action. When the buffalo are gone, we as a people might be gone too.” In summary, Roundstone stressed “I hope the villain reads this story and learns something. Everyone here on the Reservation reads A Cheyenne Voice and the Native Sun News. That is why I asked them to help air this outrage. I hope the world can know where we as Cheyenne People stand. We stand with our brothers, the Buffalo. We, the Cheyenne also believe in the power of forgiveness and redemption. In the old days such a person, committing such a horrible crime against the people would have been whipped and publicly disgraced. Then that person(s) might learn something. The culprits need to learn to respect our brothers, the Buffalo. If that could happen, it would be good.” Roundstone and the Tribal Administration encourage anyone with knowledge or information about this crime to contact him at (406) 477-6526 or by email: ncbostring1@hotmail.com. (Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
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