• Listen to this segment

Millions of wild bison once roamed North America before being nearly wiped out in the late 19th century as the United States government attempted to force Native Americans onto reservations. Today the largest concentration of bison remains in the Yellowstone National Park region at a mere 3000 in number. Now, a coalition of environmental and Native American groups filed suit on Monday to halt the slaughter of bison. The National Park Service and the Forest Service were the two federal agencies named and accused of mismanaging the endangered bison population in an effort that wastes millions of dollars annually. During the last decade more than 3,300 bison were shipped to slaughter by the federal agencies in collaboration with the state of Montana. In 2008 alone, 1,400 bison were captured and killed. The reason given for the population control measures is that free-roaming bison are thought to be a risk factor in spreading the brucellosis disease to cattle. The lawsuit contends that the threat of transmission has been widely overstated and cites an independent study in backing its claims. Rosebud Sioux tribal elder and plaintiff in the suit Rosalie Little Thunder called the bison policies of the federal agencies “an affront to indigenous peoples and an abrogation of the government’s trust responsibilities.”

GUEST: Stephanie Seay, Media Coordinator for the Buffalo Field Campaign

For more information, visit www.buffalofieldcampaign.org