Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A s FA L L 2 0 1 5 20 20 would eventually draw the interested buffalo toward the hunters who would slowly, over many hours, retreat toward the cliff. Once the herd began running, they would run beside the on-rushing buffalo. Not surprisingly, those buffalo runners were young men in the prime of life, who had mastered the tricks of the trade that were passed down to them across many generations. It was a strenuous, skillful, and dangerous role that earned one honors and respect with the tribe. One wrong move, a gust of wind from the wrong direction, a suspicious bleating call, a distant dog bark, a hunter showing himself at the wrong instant — the slightest miscue could send the herd fleeing off in any number of wrong directions. e Madison Buffalo Jump is not a run-of-the mill buffalo jump. An unprecedented National Park Service study in 1962 trumpeted the "exceptional value of this classic site." Another renowned scholar and field investigator recorded it to be "one of the best known and the most spec- tacular of all kill sites in Montana." In 1964, Montana State College (MSU) experts first proposed that it be protected as a National Monu- ment. Just last year, University of Montana Professor of Anthropol- ogy and author Doug MacDonald oversaw the most comprehensive cultural and archaeological survey of the site ever compiled. Using GPS and other new technology, he and his team concluded that they could easily spend the rest of their profes- sional careers mapping and studying the artifacts and unique features of this special place. Nevertheless, an on-going threat looms over the future of the Madison Buffalo Jump State Park, casting an ominous cloud of uncertainty. It raises the specter of possible closure of the park and the prospect of it being opened to grazing. Worse yet, the Montana Department of Natural Resources (DNRC), the custodian of state trust lands, could even sell it for residential development. e crux of the problem is the cash-strapped Montana State Parks System does not receive any line item appropriation to finance operation and mainte- nance costs in the state budget from one year to the next, thus having to rely instead upon a $6 vehicle registration fee as its biggest source of funding. Con- sequently, while Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) is willing to continue to maintain the park (i.e. pay for personnel and op- erations), it can ill afford to pay an escalating annual leasing fee to the DNRC. is is a spiritual place, a rare and nearby natural wonder, an extraordinary outdoor class- room, and an irreplaceable part of Montana's cultural heritage stretching back thousands of years. e highest priority should be its preservation now and for posterity. cash-strapped Montana State Incredible courage of tribesmen Preparing rock cairns along drive lines in advance This placement signals a ceremonial site Nearby camp awaiting buffalo harvest Frenzied work and nothing wasted after buffalo kill See Madison Buffalo Jump archeological dig from the 1950's DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL www.distinctlymontana.com/buffalo154

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