Denver Parks and Recreation raises and transfers herd members to Native tribes

Photos and Story by Brenden Pachniak

Drivers on Interstate 70 may have noticed the bison herd adjacent to the highway near the Genesee Exit.The herd belongs to the City of Denver, which has a program that provides the transfer of buffalo to Indigenous tribes.

Ray Moore lives on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, and has worked on a tribal bison acquisition.

In March, 16 animals were transferred to the Standing Rock Tribe as part of an annual gathering in which the Denver Parks and Recreation Department gifts bison to different tribes. Three tribes took the majestic animals home this year.

Ray Moore, who lives on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation that straddles North and South Dakota, said he was excited to be a part of the program.

Moore has worked on the acquisition for two years and said the transfer is extremely meaningful to the Standing Rock people. “It is so surreal that it's hard to believe this is even coming to fruition for me,” Moore said.

A small group of people attended the transfer and ceremony near Genesee, including officials from Denver Parks and Recreation, the Denver Zoo and the TallBull Memorial Council, which is made up of representatives from several Indigenous tribes.

During the cultural ceremony, Keith TallBull of the council prayed that the buffalo would be delivered safely to the Standing Rock Tribe. The ceremony included a tribal song, and sweetgrass was burned to bless those in attendance. The ceremony gave significance to the buffalo's journey home to the Indigenous lands, TallBull said.

“We're returning these family members back to these tribes to either bolster existing herds or start new herds on different reservations,” said Scott Gilmore, deputy executive director for Denver Parks and Recreation. “After this year we will be the source of buffalo that have started herds on three different reservations.”

Because the buffalo is a sacred animal to Indigenous people, Moore said there would also be a ceremony once the animals were in their new location. The animals will help the tribe take care of the land through regenerative agriculture.

“Our connection is more than spiritual and even more than words can express because the creator sent them to us,” Moore said.

Over the past few years, about 125 buffalo have been transferred to several tribes. Prior to the buffalo transfer set up by Denver, yearlings were auctioned off to the highest bidder. Reducing the herd is necessary to prevent overgrazing.

The city’s buffalo herd splits time between Daniels Park in Douglas County and Genesee Park along I-70 in Jefferson County. Both are Denver parks. Historically, the herd belonged to the Denver Zoo until 1914, when it was transferred to Genesee Park and turned over to Denver. The zoo still has a close relationship with the buffalo and helps with testing needed for the animals to travel across state lines. Because the buffalo are counted as cattle and not wildlife, there is extra testing and documentation involved.

The herd has resided near Genesee for more than a century. The transfer program did not start until a few years back when Gilmore from Denver Parks sat down with members of the TallBull Memorial Council and offered them a buffalo to use at the Daniels Park site that they lease from the city. The site covers 80 acres of the 1,000-acre park. It’s also used for cultural and religious ceremonies, as well as educational purposes.

The city’s relationship with the TallBull Memorial Council has been advantageous in setting up buffalo transfers with Indigenous tribes throughout the West. Additionally, the city is working with the InterTribal Buffalo Council with plans to distribute animals to other tribes.

“This is probably going to be the most important thing I've done in my life,” Gilmore said. “This is pretty powerful stuff.”