The prophecy of the
return of the American buffalo to the Great Plains has lingered
like a whisper among Plains tribes since the emergence of the Ghost
Dance in 1880. In the past few years, the Great Plains Restoration
Council, a group whose aim is to repair vast tracts of prairie
ecosystems for free-ranging buffalo, has given a stronger voice to
the movement to re-establish buffalo herds (HCN, 2/2/98: We have no
elders, we have no leaders).
Jarid Manos founded
the council in 1997 after learning about “Buffalo Commons,” a
concept developed by Frank and Deborah Popper that promotes prairie
ecosystem restoration in place of dwindling agriculture (HCN,
1/15/01: Plains sense).
The council plans to
acquire land from a variety of sources – private, state and tribal
– to create a million acres of contiguous prairie ecosystem in the
Northern Plains. But the goals of the group also include social and
cultural healing. “The Buffalo Commons is a model metaphor for an
evolved society where we can live alongside animals and each
other,” says Manos.
The Great Plains Restoration
Council is gaining momentum. In August, the Rosebud Sioux
officially endorsed the group’s Million Acre Project, the first
statement of support from any community or
government.
Currently, the group is establishing
offices in the Northern and Southern Plains, and drafting the
Buffalo Commons Neighbor Certification Program, which will outline
a list of goals and agreements for people interested in donating or
lending their land to the cause.
For more
information about the Great Plains Restoration Council, check their
Web site at www.gprc.org, write GPRC, P.O. Box 46216, Denver, CO
80201, or call 303/575-1760.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Gaining ground for the buffalo.
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