ST. LOUIS — The Saint Louis Zoo and other local institutions will host a free event series next week, Oct. 10-12, on the conservation of bison and their cultural significance.
Four events of the Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainability Series will explore the Buffalo Treaty, conservation and ecology of restoring the species, in addition to the cultural and educational aspects of bison among Indigenous peoples, according to a press release.
“Bison are a keystone species in our prairies, which means they're integral to prairies functioning as prairies should function, and prairies are one of our most at risk ecosystems in North America,” said Aimee Dunlap, associate professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL).
Bison roamed in large herds across the plains of North America and once numbered in the tens of millions.
“They occupied an integral role in the culture of many Indigenous people, who for thousands of years depended on the animals for their well-being and survival, and they were also a critical piece of the prairie ecosystem in which they lived,” the press release states.
The Buffalo Treaty recognizes the loss for both the people and land when bison were decimated in the 1800s.
“It initially brought together 13 Indigenous nations from eight reservations in the United States and Canada into an intertribal alliance to restore bison to their lands and strengthen cultural relationships with the animals. Since that time, hundreds of First Nations across North America have signed the Buffalo Treaty,” the press release states.
The Saint Louis Zoo, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), UMSL, the Missouri Botanical Garden and Washington University have collaborated to host the event series.
The series is free to attend, but registration is required.
Below is the list of events as stated in the press release:
The series kicks off with the annual Whitney and Anna Harris Conservation Forum, hosted by UMSL, from 5:30-9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, in the Anheuser-Busch Theater at The Living World at the Zoo and live streamed. The event is free and advance registration is required.
The series will continue Friday, Oct. 11, with a discussion titled “Humans, Nature and The Buffalo Treaty,” featuring the same three speakers, Leroy Little Bear, Roxann Smith and Chance Weston, from 12:30-2 p.m. at the Center for Spirituality & Sustainability at SIUE. Register here.
Friday evening also will feature screenings of two films, “Singing Back the Buffalo” and “Iniskim – Return of the Buffalo.” Amethyst First Rider, who directed the latter, will be on hand for a discussion with Leroy Little Bear and author Wes Olson. The event is hosted by the Buder Center and will be held from 5:30-9 p.m. at UMSL’s Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. Register here.
The series will conclude on Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Missouri Botanical Garden with an event exploring the “Ecological Buffalo,” from 2-4 p.m. in the Farr Auditorium in the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center. Register here.