VOA新闻杂志2022--更多野牛回归美国本土

More Bison Returning to Native American Lands

Native American tribes are leading efforts to bring back bison across North America where they were once hunted to near extinction¹ in the late 19th century.

Tens of millions of bison, also known as American buffalo², once lived on the Great Plains of the United States and Canada.

Many Native American tribes needed the animal to survive. They ate the bison's meat, used its bones for tools and weapons, and made clothing and housing, called teepees, from its hide.

European settlers turned killing³ bison into an industry. They used animal parts in machinery⁴, fertilizer and clothing. By 1889, few bison remained: about 800 animals in the wild and 250 in zoos and private ownership.

U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is the first Native American to serve in the cabinet. She told the Associated Press, "We wanted to populate the western half of the United States because there were so many people in the East."

The thinking at the time, she added, was "if we kill off the buffalo, the Indians will die. They won't have anything to eat."

Long-term dream for Native Americans

Now 82 tribes across the U.S. have more than 20,000 bison in 65 herds⁶. And that number has been growing along with the desire among Native Americans to look after the animal that their ancestors depended upon for thousands of years.

The long-term dream for some Native Americans is to return bison to the large numbers that once shaped the landscape itself.

Troy Heinert is a South Dakota state senator and director of the InterTribal Buffalo Council. His goal is to get bison to tribes that want them, whether two or 200. This autumn, Heinert's group has moved 2,041 bison to 22 tribes in 10 states.

He said, "All of these tribes relied on them at some point, whether that was for food or shelter or ceremonies."

Others have greater desires.

The Blackfeet in the American state of Montana and tribes in Alberta, Canada want to establish a herd⁵ that crosses the two nation's borders near Glacier⁸ National Park. Other tribes propose a "buffalo commons" on federal lands in central Montana where tribes in the area could harvest the animals.

"What would it look like to have 30 million buffalo in North America again?" said Cristina Mormorunni, a Métis Indian who has worked with the Blackfeet to bring back the bison.

Haaland said there is no going back completely — too many fences and houses. But her agency has become a primary bison source, transferring more than 20,000 to tribes and tribal⁷ organizations over 20 years.

Some cattle farmers are against the plan to move bison. They worry the animals carry diseases and compete for grass. But bison demand from the tribes is growing, and Haaland said transfers will continue. About 1,000 bison were transferred this year from Badlands, Grand Canyon⁹ National Park and several national wildlife refuges.

Some tribes are reintroducing traditional ways of harvesting bison. But today few people have the skills to harvest them.

In South Dakota, this October, Katrina Fuller helped guide a group to harvest bison by cutting one into smaller pieces. She dreams of teaching others so more communities can harvest the animals.

Tribal elder Duane Hollow Horn Bear is 73. He said the harvest brings back what was almost totally taken away — his people's culture, economy, and social connection.

"It's like coming home to a way of life," he said.

Words in This Story

extinction -n. the end of the existence of a species of plant or animal

teepee -n. a cone-shaped shelter used by Native Americans, usually made from the skins of animals.

hide -n. the skin of an animal

herd -n. a large group of grazing animals such as cows, sheep, and the like

rely on -v. to depend on or need something or someone's help

transfer -v. to move something from one place to another

cattle -n. bovine mammals, especially cows and bulls

1 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

2 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

5 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

6 herds   

兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众

参考例句：

• Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
• There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

7 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

8 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

9 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。