Southern Ute Tribe Bison Herd Maxed Out Due to Environmental Factors

IGNACIO, COLORADO - Outside of Ignacio, motorists may view miles and miles of ranch property with herds of cows and horses grazing on the gently rising terrain. A herd of 115 animals appears to be simply another herd of cows from a distance. They are our national mammal, the bison, it is clear from a closer glance.

“As a Native American, having buffalo back on our landscape to help keep our earth healthy and also to have that traditional source of lean protein is really empowering,” said Southern Ute Tribal Council Member Stacey Oberly.

Oberly also represents the tribal council on the InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC), a grouping of 80 distinct tribes with buffalo herds spread across the nation. Oberly has a doctorate in linguistics and a master’s degree in bilingual education, and she is a passionate advocate for the preservation of Ute culture and language. Her support extends to the buffalo herd on Southern Ute territory.

“It’s not just some creature out there. It’s a part of our family, is a part of our spiritual tradition. It’s super important,” said Oberly. A total of 115 bison make up the herd. The fact that females make up the majority of the animal population helps keep it under control. On a plot of property covering slightly over half a square mile, or 350 acres, they reside. For the bison to consume throughout the winter, about a third of that acreage is designated for hay production.

Buffalo usually manage to find food and water during winter months. They consume snow for hydration and use their hefty heads and shoulders to push through the snow, searching for the grasses underneath. But what happens when there isn’t any grass?

Southwestern Colorado, home to the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, has been under the grip of a drought for the better part of the past two decades, as reported by the Southwestern Water Conservation District. Although the Front Range and Eastern Colorado experienced a particularly wet spring and summer this year, Southwestern Colorado did not share in this abundance.

According to the most recent drought monitor map, this area is still classified as being in a state of abnormal dryness or undergoing a moderate drought. A significant amount of water that reaches this territory originates from the snow melt of the San Juan Mountain Range. Nevertheless, ensuring the buffalo herd’s land has sufficient water requires irrigation.

“Without irrigation, we’re not able to grow the crops and the hay and be able to feed the bison during the year or in the winter,” said Jesse Lasater, Southern Ute Indian Tribe bison herd manager.

Lasater’s role is succinctly described as: “keep the herd happy, healthy and inside the fences.” While this sums it up neatly, his responsibilities are diverse when it comes to tending to the herd. Since taking over management in 2015 when the herd consisted of only 31 bison, Lasater, with the assistance of institutions like ITBC, has enabled The Tribe to expand the herd. This has achieved the objective of supporting the bison meat distribution program.

By annually harvesting about 15 buffalo, the initiative ensures every Southern Ute Tribal member household receives up to five pounds of free bison meat each month. This effort brings back a pivotal element of the Ute diet and cultural tradition.

“One of the main reasons [to return buffalo to tribal lands] is to help restore our food sovereignty and our traditional food system,” Oberly stated.

Historically, the Utes spanned vast stretches of Colorado and the current surrounding states. According to Oberly, the Utes began hunting bison on a more consistent basis only after the Spanish introduced them to horses in the 16th century. Subsequent to this, bison became integral to their regular diet, serving not only as food but also as material for a range of tools, garments, and tipis. Beyond their practical value, buffalo hold a deep spiritual significance for the Utes.

“A huge part of our ceremonial life is our Southern Ute Sundance, which happens every summer, and buffalo are very important for that ceremony,” said Oberly. “They’re a symbol of strength, not only physical strength, but also spiritual strength and endurance. And to us, they’re very sacred.”

Oberly also highlights the enormous contribution buffalo provide to the ecosystem. The creatures are crucial to the health of North America’s grasslands from the ground up. Their rolling around in the earth, creating wallows, increases the number of water holes for other animals to drink from when it rains. Their hooves assist to bury seeds by stirring the soil. Their eating habits replenish grass. The list continues. These are only a few of the reasons Oberly thinks everyone should be concerned in assisting in the bison’s restoration to the grasslands.

“We’re starting to learn what bad health our ecosystem is [in] and putting the bison back into our natural ecosystems will benefit all of us and the earth as well,” said Oberly.

Currently, The Southern Ute Indian Tribe cannot increase the number of bison in the herd. Food is being grown on too much of the ground set aside for the herd, and the persistent drought brought on by a changing climate can turn non-irrigated areas of the land into wasteland. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the quantity of snowfall in the West has dropped since the 1950s, and at the majority of Colorado monitoring sites, the amount of snowpack observed in April has reduced by 20 to 60 percent.

Without more reliable water in the southwestern region of the state, Lasater is all too aware that it will be impossible to restore additional bison.

“So if we don’t have a great winter, we suffer in the summer and then … the animals then suffer for the next year because of a lack of hay, usually hay prices go up. Some people cut their herd numbers and there’s a number of ways to work around it. But yeah, you’re always dealing with Mother Nature and the weather,” Lasater said.

Lasater and Oberly are concentrating on preserving the herd’s current size in the hopes that more buffalo will one day be able to return home when the need for more water from the Colorado River basin grows more pressing.