On Nov. 2, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) hosted a lively celebration of National Bison Day at Kankakee Sands in Northern Indiana, highlighting the importance of bison in our ecosystems and showcasing conservation efforts.
National Bison Day has been celebrated across the country since 2012, honoring the contribution they have made to America and encouraging preservation practices for generations to come. TNC’s celebration at Kankakee Sands brought educational activities, guided tours and the opportunity to see these majestic animals up close.
Bison ancestors migrated from southern Asia to North America around 400,000 years ago, according to the US Department of the Interior.
As time went on, the American bison came to be a symbol and vital part of Native American culture, providing food, clothing, shelter, tools and more for the tribes. Historically, bison were found across the state of Indiana as an integral part of the grasslands.
In the 1800s, the bison population was decimated by market hunting and the Army in an attempt to forcibly remove Native Americans from their homes and take away their main food source. By the late 1880s, the population was nearly extinct.
Recovery efforts expanded in the mid-20th century. Reintroductions and preservation efforts by organizations like TNC have brought to light the severity by which the population has diminished and how much work is still to be done.
TNC’s bison day celebration was held at Kankakee Sands, over 8,400 acres of prairies and wetlands and home to more than 86 rare threatened and endangered species. More than 240 bird species, 70 species of butterflies and more than 900 species of moths call Kankakee Sands home.
In October 2016, TNC brought 23 bison to the area to manage the prairies. Currently, the prairies hold nearly 100 bison, grazing on 1,100 acres. At the celebration, guests could catch a glimpse of the large mammals grazing in the prairies near the visitor’s center.
The day of celebration began with an early morning birding walk with the Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society, followed by a ribbon cutting to celebrate the new pavilions, signage, viewing areas and spotting scopes. Several times throughout the day, guests were invited to tour the corrals with TNC staff and rangers to learn about how the bison thrive at Kankakee Sands.
“There’s a couple weeks in the year when we are preparing for and doing our annual bison roundup,” said Olivia Schouten, bison manager at Kankakee Sands. “That is when we are doing the most handling of them and when we are thinking about keeping their stress low.”
Dani Tippmann of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma spoke about the daily activities of their people, such as using buffalo rib bones shaped into large sewing needles to craft cattail leaves into mats to cover their wigwams.
The day was filled with resources for guests looking to learn more about bison and preservation, as well as entertaining crafts for children. Kids could make bandanas and bison-shaped ornaments, as well as practice putting out fires with a firehose demonstration station.
Yoga on the prairie was the conclusion of the family-friendly day with Colleen Edmonson of Friends of the Sands.
To continue their knowledge, guests could visit and take home resources from TNC’s partner organization tables. Representatives from Jasper Newton Foundation, Friends of the Sands, Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society, Newton County Soil and Water Conservation District, DNR, Newton County Economic Development Commission and Friends of the Kankakee were all present to share information and encourage preservation beyond the celebration.
National Bison Day is an annual event. For more information about TNC and their work at Kankakee Sands, visit nature.org. For more information about the Miami Tribe, visit miamiindians.org.
To read more stories about The Nature Conservancy, click here.
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
An earlier version of this post incorrectly described the way the Miami Tribe utilizes buffalo and misquoted Tippman. We apologize for the error and aim to share accurate information at all times.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
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