Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 99 T HE BISON RANGE IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS 300 - 350 BISON, but it is so much more. It is a diverse ecosystem of inter- mountain native grasslands, forests, riparian areas and ponds. In addition to herds of bison, it supports popu- lations of Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, and big- horn sheep as well as coy- otes, mountain lions, bears, bobcat, over 200 species of birds; in the spring, wildflowers cover much of the range. A visit to the Bison Range offers ex- cellent opportunities to not only view the abundant wildlife, but to take in the spectacular views of the Mission Moun- tains to the east. Original bison numbers have been estimated at about 40 million animals. However, by an 1889 census, the na- tional bison herd had plummeted to 1,000 due to excessive over-hunting and harvesting from the western expansion of the late nineteenth century. This was threatening their very survival as a species, as well as a whole way of life for the Native peoples who depended on them. Bison play a central role in the cultural, spiritual and ceremonial life of many western Native American tribes in both the plains and the intermountain areas, such as Mon- tana. Their relationship to the bison runs deep and is ingrained into who they are as Native people. For nearby tribes that did not live on the plains where bison roamed, such as the Bitterroot Salish, Pend d'Orielle and Koote- nai tribes, great effort was made to cross the moun- tains, risking conflict with other unfriendly tribes along the way, in order to hunt and bring meat and hides back home for the long, cold winters. It was on one of these hunts in the 1870s that a Pend d'Ori- elle man by the name of Atatiće ("Ah-tah-tee-seh", Peregrine Falcon Robe) became alarmed at the extreme decline in bi- son numbers and proposed bringing some animals back to the Flathead Reservation. He consulted with the chiefs who were also on the hunt, but they were split on the idea. With- out a consensus, Atatiće decided to not bring any animals back with him. Years later in the 1880s, Atatiće's son, Łatatí ("Shlah-tah- tee", Little Flacon Robe), decided to try and realize his fa- ther's dream. At the end of his hunt, he single-handedly took on the long, arduous task of bringing a small group of or- phaned bison calves from the plains to the east, back over the mountains to the reservation to the west. article and photos by DOUG STEVENS NATIONAL BISON RANGE Arrowleaf balsamroot covers the Bison Range in May

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