Cherokee Nation To Get South Dakota Bison This Week

The Cherokee Nation has been gifted a herd of bison and will tend to the animals for the first time since the 1970's.

The tribe announced the award from the InterTribal Buffalo Council Monday. The 30 animals are excess bison from North Dakota and the Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

The Cherokees say the herd will arrive in Delaware County on October 9, 2014. Another ten bison will be delivered from the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota in mid-October.

5/7/2014 Related Story: Two Oklahoma Tribes Ask For Bison From Yellowstone National Park

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker says American bison played a critical role for the tribe prior to colonization and there has been a nationwide resurgence of tribes connecting with the animals.

“Our tribe is thankful to the InterTribal Buffalo Council, who opted to place some of the excess bison from the Badlands and Theodore Roosevelt National Park in our care. It is a unique opportunity to reunite our people with a prominent part of our past,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker.

“Typically associated with plains-based tribes, the American bison also played a critical role for the Cherokee prior to colonization. Hundreds of years ago when bison roamed east of the Mississippi, the Cherokee people survived, in part, by using bison as a vital food source. Today, there is a nationwide resurgence by tribes, including the Cherokee Nation, to reconnect with these animals.”

The InterTribal Buffalo Council also awarded a grant to help the Cherokee Nation provide fencing and supplies for the bison.

The Cherokee Nation is also in the running to receive a small herd of bison from Yellowstone National Park, which has about 300 surplus bison per year. The availability of live animals from Yellowstone is very rare, with the animals in high demand since they have unique genetics not seen in other herds.

Bison weigh up to 2,000 pounds per animal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.