Bison
To me, the Bison serve as a symbol of Indigenous People's endurance and strength to survive. With your help, they can endure.
Joseph Standing Bear Schranz
President, Midwest SOARRING Foundation
Bison Herds Making A Comeback
For Native People today, Bison are symbolic of survival, hope and endurance. Midwest SOARRING Foundation and many other Native groups across the country are nurturing growing herds of Bison so they can be eventually returned to their lands.
The bison herd that Midwest SOARRING Foundation started was the result of a vision for a spirit herd, as a way of thanking our four-legged brothers for what they have done for us over thousands of years. We must move away from a destructive, throw-away society and respect what the Creator has given us. It is time to help the Bison survive, for if they survive, we survive.
The bison is a truly magnificent animal. As North America's largest native grass eating mammal, Bison are essential to the endurance of a healthy grassland ecosystem. Unlike cattle, Bison leave the prairie grass root intact when they graze. This enables a variety of prairie grasses to continue to grow, and creates a thriving environment for wildlife to flourish. Bison are resourceful in finding hidden springs and grass buried under winter snows thus their presence restores rather than depletes the prairie.
Bison needs are basic - a safe place to live and raise their young, plenty of healthy food, clean water, space to roam, and the opportunity to enjoy a sense of community within their herd. As herd animals they chase one another in play, and challenge one another for heirarchy. Thus, as bison herds continue to thrive, they once again give life and spiritual strength to the land of their birth.
The herd that Midwest SOARRING started was located in LeRoy, Illinois. In 2020 Bill and Misty, landwoners and caretakers of our bison herd decided to retire and sell their property which challenged us to find a new home for the herd. On December 18th, of 2020 Midwest SOARRING Foundation completed their mission by reolocating the herd on the Oklahoma prairie. Midwest SOARRING still collects money to aide bison programs where needed. We invite you to donate to our Save The Bison Fund.
History
Estimates of the pre-European herd size vary from 50,000,000 to 70,000,000 animals with a range that included most of North America. Early French explorers named them "Les Beoufs" mistaking them for wild oxen.
With the immigration of settlers into the prairies of North America, the bison's
numbers dwindled to a fraction of their original size. The slaughter
of bison by settlers for sport and economic gain in the 1800s, brought the bison neared extinction. Many
Indigenous Nations fiercely resisted relocation to reservations so the United States Army
began to also kill the bison in the mid 1800s. Elimination of the bison would spell
the end of the Indigenous people, many who depended upon them for survival. Disease brought to this
continent from foreign domestic animals, also contributed to the reduction of the species.
The first bill to save the bison was introduced in Congress in 1874. By 1889, fewer than 1,100 bison remained in the United States and Canada. Today, there are approximately 200,000 bison in North America, although most of them are still found only in managed or ranched herds. Although their roaming area is barely a fraction of its original size, bison numbers have steadily increased over the years. The future for the bison has greatly improved.
Saving The Bison
The Midwest SOARRING Foundation seeks to continue to be apart of securing the future of this beautiful animal. In September of 1999 with the help of a donation, we were able to save the life of a 4 year old bison. This bison was named "Broken Horn" and became the first bison of a planned indigenous herd of 20-30 bison.
Donations from members made it possible to purchase a male named Thundering Hooves. Then two males and two females were donated from the Elgin Park District, which houses Bison at Lords Park. Others were saved from slaughter including two that were gifted by two members of The Grand Village of the Kickapoo Park Foundation. Natural births also occur which helps this heard to grow.
We are in the process of developing a documentary for public TV that highlights our story with our bison herd.
Mission Statement for Save the Bison Fund
Midwest SOARRING Foundation's purpose for creating
the Save the Bison
project is to encourage re-population in the state of Illinois and within the Midwest. Bison herds serve as a symbol of indigenous
people's endurance and strength to survive. This program is made possible in part by the many good hearted people
and their donations.
How You Can Help
You can help Midwest SOARRING's Foundation effort to support bison and their needs as requested throughout the country. Midwest SOARRING continues to support this Indigenous Symbol and donations for their care can be made payable to:
Midwest SOARRING Foundation
P.O. Box 275,
Lyons, IL 60534
Please indicate Bison Fund on the memo portion of your check.
Click here for online donation.
