Big Medicine is Back Home | News | charkoosta.com - Char-Koosta News

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A spiritual longing has been sated. Big Medicine is back. Last Thursday, the Montana Historical Society (MTHS) Board of Trustees unanimously voted to untether Big Medicine from his 61 years caged show astatine the MTHS Museum successful Helena.

For the clip being Big Medicine volition physically stay with the MTHS but marque nary doubts helium is backmost location from whence helium came. There are nary fences, boundaries oregon buildings to cage him anymore. His is present a free-ranging tone backmost successful the bosom of the Flathead Reservation wherever his tone has agelong been anchored successful the longing hearts of the Séliš, Ql̓ispé and Ksanka people.

More than 89 years ago, connected Wednesday May 3, 1933, National Bison Range (NBR) range-rider John McDonald came crossed a newborn bison. It was not antithetic for scope riders to find recently calved bison but that time an antithetic show was beheld by McDonald — a achromatic bull bison. 

It was earlier the inundation of telephones but the connection of the commencement of a achromatic bison dispersed rapidly done the moccasin telegraph. Within days the Séliš and Ql̓ispé radical conducted a ceremonial to behold the spiritual acquisition from the Creator and invited the achromatic bison onto the scenery and into their hearts. They named the Creator’s acquisition Big Medicine.

Many American Indian tribes person time-immemorial spiritual, taste and sustenance relationships with bison that provided food, structure and clothing, but uncommon achromatic bison had other spiritual value arsenic they correspond a nonstop proviso of the Creator’s power.

The Creator’s powerfulness was evident again successful 1937 erstwhile Big Medicine, not a existent albino owed to his bluish eyes and a heavy achromatic crown of hairsbreadth betwixt his horns sired different acquisition from the Creator: an albino bull calf with pinkish eyes and achromatic hooves. Sadly, the albino calf was unsighted and deaf. When helium was six months old, helium was transported to the National Zoological Gardens successful Washington, DC wherever helium was connected show astatine the National Zoo until his decease astatine 12 years old.

“I remember, arsenic a child, going to spot the achromatic buffalo, Big Medicine,” said 81-year-old Ql̓ispé Elder Stephen SmallSalmon. “I was precise young; the achromatic buffalo was aged and lying down. After helium died, helium was conscionable gone; they took him to Helena.”

Big Medicine died connected August 25, 1959 astatine the property of 26. Big Medicine weighed much than 1,900 pounds successful his premier years. He stood six feet gangly astatine his hump, and was astir 12 feet agelong from his chemoreceptor to the extremity of his tail.

Following his death, past Flathead Nation Tribal Council Chairman Walter McDonald, younger member of John McDonald, advocated for the tribal people’s tendency that Big Medicine beryllium preserved and stay connected the Flathead Reservation but to nary avail. The NBR powers that were gave Big Medicine’s tanned fell to the MTHS that successful crook had renowned Browning-based artist, sculpture and taxidermist Bob Schriver to equine Big Medicine’s fell connected supporting infrastructure for show astatine the MTHS Museum wherever Big Medicine has been since 1961. 

However, each that changed past Thursday erstwhile SmallSalmon was among a radical of Flathead Nation authorities and medication officials, and Séliš-Ql̓ispéCulture Committee Elders Council representatives that journeyed to Helena to conscionable with the Montana Historical Society Board of Trustees.

Flathead Nation Tribal Council Chairman Tom McDonald, grand-nephew of John and Walter McDonald, was among the Flathead Nation representatives that day.

“Nearly my full beingness I’ve heard radical wonderment wherefore Big Medicine was not home. Why can’t we get him backmost home,” McDonald said. “Even the [US] Fish and Wildlife Service posed that question during the talks related to the AFA (Annual Funding Agreement) negotiations.”

The Flathead Nation negotiated 2 AFAs with the US Fish and Wildlife Service successful 2004 and 2008. The 2004 AFA ended successful December 2006 erstwhile tribal employees astatine the NBR were unceremoniously escorted disconnected the National Bison Range. The USFWS claimed it was owed to mediocre show by tribal employees.

“We yet accomplished a extremity we (Legal Department) had been moving connected for 10 years to get to,” CSKT Legal Department lawyer Brian Upton said successful May of the 2004 AFA. “We yet got our boots connected the crushed determination but successful reality, we weren’t invited there. Eventually the Fish and Wildlife Service cancelled the AFA.”

The 2nd negotiated AFA of 2008 was implemented successful 2009 but it was challenged successful tribunal by PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) and the Blue Goose Society citing the deficiency of compliance to the National Environmental Protection Act. The 2nd statement was rescinded by a U.S. District Court September 2010. 

A 3rd AFA dialog process began 2010. “The negotiations hung successful the aerial for 3 years due to the fact that the Fish and Wildlife Service was dragging its feet,” Upton said. “We needed to intermission the negotiations astatine that constituent due to the fact that we conscionable couldn’t spot them. Right aft that we got the telephone from Fish and Wildlife Service manager Don Ash asking (then Tribal Council Chairman) Vernon (Finley) to travel to Washington to speech astir restoring the Bison Range to the Tribes.”

That pendulum-change plaything yet resulted successful the restoration of the erstwhile National Bison Range to the Flathead Nation via its insertion into the omnibus spending measure signed into instrumentality by the president successful December 2020.  The Flathead Nation took afloat power of the erstwhile NBR, present Bison Range, connected January 1, 2022.

The pendulum plaything continued with the instrumentality of Big Medicine. 

“Back successful the day, they (MTHS) wanted Big Medicine astatine its depository due to the fact that helium was a large [tourist] draw,” McDonald said, adding that done the years unofficial requests to person Big Medicine were rebuffed for assorted reasons including MTHS’s maintaining that Big Medicine was successful excessively mediocre of a information to move. 

But conditions changed and minds person changed.

Earlier this twelvemonth the Tribal Council sent a missive to the MTHS Board of Trustees with an amiable ceremonial petition to instrumentality Big Medicine to his location connected the Flathead Reservation Bison Range.

“Big Medicine represents the past that has carried guardant to the contiguous and the enactment yet to beryllium done to support our identity, culture, and well-being into the future,” Tom McDonald stated successful the missive request.

The MTHS Board of Trustees yet responded to the missive and requested to conscionable with Tribal Council and medication representatives astatine its committee meeting.

McDonald said the Flathead radical was somewhat unaware of the intent of the gathering with the MTHS trustees but figured it could beryllium related to Big Medicine and the missive petition and if so, it astir apt was a denial of transfer. It was related to the transportation of Big Medicine.

“We had nary denotation they (MTHS) were ever going to ballot connected returning Big Medicine,” McDonald said.

Following a luncheon erstwhile Montana Attorney General Tim Fox of Hardin who is connected the MTHS Board of Trustees asked folks astatine the gathering to stand. When they did, helium made the question to instrumentality Big Medicine to his Bison Range home. The trustees successful a unanimous ballot agreed that it was clip for Big Medicine to spell home.

“His question gave maine religion successful humanity, that bully radical volition bash the close thing,” McDonald said. “It was precise affectional and it truly made each of america consciousness good. It was a large infinitesimal due to the fact that I felt that they (MTHS Board of Trustees) felt bully also. It was beauteous overwhelming and it was hard for maine to adjacent speak, it was each truthful dignified.”

But talk helium did, though his composure waivered a spot successful his response.

“We are profoundly appreciative. You tin spot it is emotional,” McDonald said astir vote. “We volition dainty this carnal with the respect it deserves. We convey you and look guardant to partnerships with the [Montana Historical Society] and depository successful the future. Thank you, from the bottommost of our hearts.”

“When they said ‘We’re going to nonstop him home.’ It was beauteous nice; a large happening you know. It makes america Elders happy,” SmallSalmon said. “He was gone a agelong clip but present helium is backmost home”

SmallSalmon said a prayer, smudged and sang a Buffalo Song astatine the ceremonial instrumentality of Big Medicine.

“It isn’t conscionable astir the history. As a people, the Salish and Kootenai are reclaiming our connection and culture. One facet of what Big Medicine symbolizes is what it looks similar to clasp connected to the past and look to the future,” said Flathead Nation Executive Officer Rick Eneas. “We arsenic a radical are astatine a crossroads and person gone done immoderate important challenges and mislaid a lot, but are creating a batch successful the vale for the young tribal members who don’t person a connection. A awesome similar this allows america to consciousness arrogant of who we are and volition assistance america recognize who we tin beryllium successful the future.” 

MTHS Director Molly Kruckenberg said the MTHS was pleased to spot Big Medicine’s ownership transferred to the CSKT. The MTHS volition clasp carnal possession of Big Medicine until the Tribes person a harmless situation successful which helium tin beryllium displayed, which is expected to instrumentality astir 2 years.

“This is not a repatriation petition nether the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act; instead, this determination comes from discussions made connected a government-to-government basis,” Kruckenberg said. “The Montana Historical Society regularly seeks proposal and accusation from Montana’s Tribes, and this transportation of ownership reflects that affirmative relationship.”

McDonald said it volition beryllium a spot of time, possibly 2 years, earlier Big Medicine volition beryllium physically returned home. 

“Our tendency is to lone determination Big Medicine once. The evident determination would beryllium to determination him to the Bison Range visitant halfway but it’s tiny and an aged and poorly designed facility,” helium said. “A caller Three Chiefs Cultural Center connected Ravalli Hill would beryllium perfect to amended show our civilization and Big Medicine. We would enactment him successful an air-controlled abstraction there. We person budgeted funds to bash the planning. I americium definite it volition happen, it’s conscionable a substance of time.”

McDonald said the CSKT medication has been trying to get an architectural steadfast to instrumentality connected the readying but it has been hard owed to the lingering effects of the COVID pandemic the enactment over-load specified firms are dealing with.

He said the Tribes conscionable submitted a assistance connection to physique a caller Three Chiefs Cultural Center connected Ravalli Hill.

“It would gully postulation disconnected US 93, and prevention astir 25 minutes disconnected conveyance thrust to and from the Moiese entrance,” McDonald said, adding that the Tribes are earnestly looking astatine assorted ways to grow the footprint oregon hoofprint of the Bison Range. The CSKT ain the onshore atop Ravalli Hill eastbound of Highway 93 is being considered to grow that footprint and banal bison there. 

“Like the bison our persistence has prevailed,” McDonald said. “Big Medicine is an carnal that signifies what bison means to the scenery and civilization of our people. Bison were our food, our clothing, our shelter. The bison and Indians walked the aforesaid way broadside by side. We lived broadside by side, and broadside by broadside we were removed from our accepted landscape, present we are walking broadside by broadside again. They saved america and present we are redeeming them.”