Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 100 This small herd thrived and grew in numbers. Ownership of this nascent herd passed from Łatatí to Charles Allard and Michel Pablo. It became the nucleus for a reserva- tion herd that would eventu- ally grow into the largest free-ranging herd left in the U.S. It also was a source for restocking other herds across North America, including the Yellowstone herd. Upon Al- lard's death, his widow sold his half of the herd to a ranch- er named Conrad in Kalispell, Montana. Pablo's herd stayed and continued to flourish and grow, enjoying fenceless free ranging across the reservation. This all changed after the beginning of the 20th century with the passing and implementation of the Allotment Act. The reservation was opened to homesteading, and with it fences starting going up across the valley. It was no longer possible to maintain a free-ranging bison herd, and the Bu- reau of Indian Affairs forced Pablo to sell his herd. With no buyers in the U.S., the animals were sold to the Canadian government. • • • About the same time, conservationists back East were concerned with the disappearance of the bi- son. Soon, the American Bison Society (ABS) was formed and tasked with finding a home for a na- tional bison range where the animals could be pro- tected. The ABS contacted Morton Elrod, a professor of wildlife at the University of Montana, who was very familiar with the Flathead Reservation, a place he visited often and loved. He also knew the prior, successful efforts of Allard and Pablo. His recommendation to the ABS was to locate the new bison range on the Flathead Reserva- tion. On May 23, 1908, President Roosevelt signed legislation to form the National Bison Range by appropriating 18,700 acres out of the Flathead Reservation. The tribe had no say and the compensation was meager. Later, in 1971, a Court of Claims ruled the appropriation was unconstitutional, but by then, it was rather late to change the course of history. SOON, THE AMERICAN BISON SOCIETY WAS FORMED AND TASKED WITH FINDING A HOME FOR A NATIONAL BISON RANGE WHERE THE ANIMALS COULD BE PROTECTED. New Bison Range entrance sign IMAGE COURTESY OF MARCIA PABLO, THE PABLO/ALLARD BUFFALO HERD COLLECTION

• Cover