American Bison Makes Historic Return to Illinois' Kane County After Two Centuries
The bison, also known as the American Buffalo, returns to its home ground in Illinois' Kane County after over 200 years. In December, the conservation efforts finally bore fruit as bison — the largest land mammal in America — entered the 38 acres of prairie restored by the Kane County Forest Preserve District, as reported by the Barington Hill Observer. The reemergence of the mammals after over 2 centuries was a remarkable feat achieved by the conservationists, who waited for hours in the snow to watch the animals step on the prairie. Jay Young, co-executive director of the American Indian Center of Chicago, described the reappearance as rematriation, which means the return of a missing relative. “I don’t like using the word ownership, because that’s not a Native or Indigenous worldview," he said.
“We are the stewards of the bison, and so we’re looking after them, we’re taking care of them, we’re making sure they’re OK," Young added. Although the conservation efforts by the Kane Forest Preserve began three years ago, authorities claim that the project has been “hundreds of years in the making.” Benjamin Haberthur, the district’s executive director, has emphasized that the project “transcends generations” and the efforts began way before the project was officially initiated. The initial deal wasn't closed, and the conservationists struggled to find an appropriate indigenous partner to join them on the mission. When the American Indian Center agreed to join forces, the team was encouraged to aim for something big yet attainable.
The conservationists required the indigenous knowledge, and it was non-negotiable for the project. "Without the Native American education component, (it) would have been a huge loss, because the story of the bison is the story of Native Americans in the country,” Haberthur added. The Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve was once a soybean field before the restoration began in 2011. Under the supervision of Haberthur, about 114 species were planted, including tall Indian grass and rattlesnake master, as per Phys.org. The prairie was once thriving with bison, before settlers and their cattle began plowing the grasslands and using the land for grazing. The return of the American buffalo also marked the restoration of the land's former glory.
"We look at all of these things as relatives, whether it be the prairie grass or the bison. They evolved over thousands of years together, so a prairie without bison or bison without prairie is missing something," Young said. Illinois once contained 22 million acres of prairie, but less than 1% remains today. Agriculture and soil erosion are the major factors behind these habitats being erased and driving species to extinction. These issues have pushed the praise chickens, which Haberthur describes as "bold little territorial birds," into the critically endangered category. However, the return of bison might also help establish a habitat that supports other species like the brown-headed cowbird.
The bird species were even termed buffalo birds because of their connection and dependence on bison. "So it changed its behavior after the buffalo left, but at Nachusa, they've seen them start to reassociate and rebuild that," Haberthur revealed. The conservation project isn't simply aimed at restoring the ecology, but it also holds cultural significance for the native community. The restoration built through indigenous knowledge is meant to help local Native Americans reconnect with their roots. "We're talking about healing the landscape, right? We're also healing our community," Young added.
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