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* UPDATE FROM THE FIELD
Dear Buffalo Friends,
Here along the Park's western boundary things have been
nothing less than magical. We give thanks for the blissful
times in the presence of wild buffalo, this week unharmed
and un-harassed. Spring is an incredible time to be with
the buffalo after such a long, difficult winter. As
buffalo relish the emerging green grasses, their energy
increases a thousand-fold. The tracks we find show
intermediate signs of buffalo dancing; bulls sparring,
yearlings playing, young buffalo kicking it up, as patient
matriarchs lead the way to greener grass and secluded
birthing grounds. Horse Butte and the Madison River
corridor behold amazing gifts of abundance, and life
manifests itself in numerous, spectacular forms. We bask
in the arms of the Earth, in the presence of wild buffalo,
the soothing, prehistoric cries of the Sand Hill cranes
provide the gentle music of creation. Our gaze lifts to
the skies to see young bald eagles flying with their
parents. Golden eagles swoop down around us, spreading
their great wings, then fly up! up! up! ever higher.
Higher still, the flight of the white pelican, circling
and floating in freedom on the wings of the wind. Osprey
and bluebird are busying themselves with the important
tasks of caring for life anew, gathering and fishing and
preparing for the young. Spring beauties and buttercups
appear and the sage grows greener, wafting tangy
fragrances as we walk through it. Volunteers are refreshed
with strong spring winds, inspiration and indescribable
beauty. Topping it off, buffalo mothers present little
gifts to the world, in the shape of tiny red calves.
Amazing to know that these little ones will grow up to be
mighty, gentle yet fearless giants. We wonder at the
safety and comfort they must feel to have the strong love
and protection of such a powerful mom and family. Our own
maternal/paternal instincts kick in strong for them as
well. Save for the nature of wolves and weather, nothing
should be able to harm them. They are beautiful in their
innocence with their soft red bodies, little black hooves,
nuzzling noses and dark, wondering eyes. As they discover
what it means to be alive, trying out their new legs
prancing and dancing, hopping and skipping about the land,
their patient, loving mothers carefully watch them every
step of the way. As we follow the buffalo tracks along
their migration route, we also dance with excitement,
seeing the wee prints next to mom's giant ones. The joy of
the next generation is upon us all.
Not long from now, however, the dark forces of the
government and livestock industry will be upon them. But
not without a fight. As ever, we will stand up against the
lies, with the knowledge that Truth is with the buffalo.
As you read in last week's Update, the supposed "threat"
of brucellosis is just a cunning creation by the powers
that (momentarily) be, to continue their Monopoly game
upon our Mother Earth.
Recent news stories report that the agencies took blood
samples from the nearly 1,000 buffalo they slaughtered.
Test results show that had the blood samples been taken
prior to hasty killing, more than half would still be
alive. Fifty-five percent of the buffalo sent to slaughter
by the National Park Service and Department of Livestock
this year had NO SIGN OF BRUCELLOSIS! Critical information
gained far too late. Tests also showed that 44 percent
tested "positive" for brucellosis. The so-called positive
results are false in that they only detect the presence of
antibodies, not infection. In other words, they killed
healthy buffalo that had developed immunity to
brucellosis. Most were not infectious. Further, bulls,
yearlings, and non-pregnant buffalo pose no risk of
transmission, while pregnant buffalo post only a
*theoretical* risk: to this day, there has never been a
documented case of a wild buffalo transmitting brucellosis
to cattle, even where they coexist. Nearly 1,000 buffalo
lost to the world forever, without warrant, and most
killed by the hands of those who are supposed to protect
them.
If the government and livestock industry were truly
concerned about disease rather than land control and
money, the agencies could have used the convenience of
murdered buffalo to do more accurate culture tests, which
would have shown actual infection. But it's easier to
maintain power by spreading lies, fabricating the truth
and getting that media headline to state 44 percent tested
"positive." The testing process is set up to benefit only
those whose 400-year old mission has been to rid the land
of these wild, gentle beings. Much like the way the Bush
administration sold war based on "weapons of
mass-destruction" that didn't exist.
Meanwhile, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) issued a
press release yesterday saying the elk in the Madison
Valley (the same valley buffalo have been shot or
slaughtered for attempting to reach) probably don't have
so much brucellosis after all. Whoops. They say it's
probably yersinia, a relatively harmless (to wildlife and
livestock) gastrointestinal bacteria that can show up as
brucellosis in their brucellosis testing procedures. Who's
to say that the wild buffalo aren't victims of this as
well? Scientists that know about yersinia and brucellosis
and the testing procedures say this is most likely the
case. But sound science isn't a tool used by government.
Of course, true to government form, an FWP agent claims
the same probably doesn't hold true for Yellowstone
buffalo. As a matter of convenience to carry out their
"economically beneficial" destructive policies of land
control, the government makes up excuses and formulates
their "science" to continue their agenda, no matter the
cost. Wildlife management is an oxy-moron, with the
emphasis on the latter portion of the word.
Not all news is bad news: While the buffalo bring forth
new life, we have been inspired by the action of others in
recent weeks. To the North, the Mohawk Six Nations are
currently standing their ground, defending their ancestral
land against greedy developers. As the days go by, more
and more people come to join their ranks and the
mainstream media can no longer ignore this powerful rise
of the people in defense of the land. We pray that others
over Turtle Island will be inspired by these brave actions
to stand up in solidarity against the tyrants. The
momentum is building. Be it nuclear testing on sacred
land, deforestation, rape of the oceans, or the
persecution of the last wild buffalo - these are the
representatives of what ails the sovereignty of the land
herself; arriving are the fearless, strong champions who
will set her free at last.
It has been said that the buffalo will never give up on
the people. Their endurance over the centuries is
testament to that. Though it may take generations, we
will, likewise, never give up on them.
Roam Free,
~Stephany
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* BFC MOTHER'S DAY CARDS - ONE WEEK
LEFT TO ORDER!
Wild buffalo babies are being born, wild buffalo moms
celebrated! They need the love and protection of all
buffalo defenders, as the peace they are afforded now will
not be tolerated by the Department of Livestock. As we
approach Mother's Day, help us celebrate (and protect!)
wild buffalo mothers as you celebrate the nurturing women
in your life. Give the gift of a beautiful hand-crafted
Mother's Day card. Orders should be in by Wednesday, May
3rd, so we can get the cards out to reach the ones you
love in time.
To order visit
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/artthoughts/mothersday.html.
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* THANK YOU LIGHTHAWK & RAY LEE!
As you can imagine, we don't have too much faith in the
National Park Service's buffalo estimates. Nearly 1,000
have been sent to slaughter or gunned down by management
activities, and winter kill has been heavy this year.
Given these combined impacts, what is the herd size today?
It's hard to say; we know it's dangerously low and we are
determined to find out real information based on our own
findings.
On Saturday, BFC representatives Jesse and Seamus went up
on the gracious wings of LightHawk pilot Ray Lee's plane.
LightHawk is the largest and oldest volunteer-based
environmental aviation organization in North America.
Jesse and Seamus joined LightHawk in a fly-over of the
Yellowstone region starting in the currently buffalo-empty
Madison Valley, through Yellowstone National Park, and
some of the surrounding areas. They took lots of video and
photographs of visible buffalo and areas where buffalo
should be. Incredibly telling shots of the Duck Creek and
Stephens Creek buffalo trap reveal the ugly scar these
facilities have on the landscape. With their documentation
and mapping skills we will get a more accurate assessment
of what buffalo still remain. This is a really exciting,
detail-oriented project and we beg your patience as all
the pieces are put together. Soon, we will show you
amazing photos and video footage of the region's awesome
landscape and its giant inhabitants.
We are grateful to LighHawk who, over the years, has been
very supportive of our work and lends their expertise to
efforts to protect the last wild buffalo. Thank you,
LightHawk, for granting us the opportunity to conduct our
own buffalo count and helping us see a bigger picture with
a birds-eye perspective.
To learn more about LighHawk's work visit http://LightHawk.org.
THANK YOU LightHawk and Ray Lee!
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WE DRUMMED FOR LIFE & GAINED A
BUFFALO WARRIOR
On Saturday we celebrated Earth Day in Livingston, Montana
with local and regional advocates of the wild buffalo and
grizzly bear. Our dear friend, Monica RavenHeart, brave
and inspiring kindred spirit, put her amazing energy into
creating yet another beautiful and inspirational event. We
gathered and drummed, spoke about the wild, sharing
stories and invoking healing energy and positive action.
Gilbert Walking Bull, a Lakota elder, spoke to us about
the relationship between the buffalo and the Lakota
people; the Buffalo Nation, they are one, intertwined,
where one ends the other begins and visa versa. Gilbert
reminded us that Tatanka, the Lakota word for buffalo,
translates literally into "His Great Creation."
The BFC buffaloon, a gigantic balloon buffalo, made his
huge presence, attracting many to our table. There were
beautiful hand-crafted drums, mother drums, rattles,
tambourines all tuning in to hoof-beat and heartbeat.
Generous door prizes were given away, including a
beautiful hand-made beaded pouch crafted by our friend and
Monica's husband Kevin. At the end of the day, however,
BFC got the best "prize" of all: Monica's son, Gunner,
came home with us to join the Buffalo Field Campaign. We
are honored to have this new Buffalo Warrior with us. He
is already wise beyond his years and a great photographer,
besides! Check out some of Gunner's photos from the
Drumming and some from his first days on patrol with the
last wild buffalo: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/bisonphotogallery3.html
Stay tuned for "Drumming a Sacred Circle for Life III"!
Thank you Monica and Kevin for your brave and wild hearts,
your strong spirits, and the "donation" of your first
born!
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* FREE BFC T-SHIRT FOR PUBLISHED LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Don't let the mainstream media get away with printing half
truths! Please monitor the news and respond to articles
about wild buffalo, write in their defense, inform others
and set the record straight. The editorial section is the
most widely read part of the newspaper. Lawmakers pay
special attention to the editorial pages to get a feel for
the concerns of their constituents. Write a Letter to the
Editor for the last wild buffalo! Don't stop with the
papers, though! Contact your TV and radio stations, urging
them to show BFC's footage from the field and conduct
interviews so that we can continue to raise awareness for
the buffalo!
Anyone who gets at least one pro-buffalo letter to the
editor published in the paper will receive a free Buffalo
Field Campaign t-shirt (100% organic cotton). Send us a
link or a hard copy (address at the end of this Update) to
your published letter, along with your mailing address and
t-shirt size, and we'll send you a beautiful t-shirt that
says it all: "Let Buffalo Roam!" The offer holds true for
anyone who can set up a radio interview for BFC or can get
a TV station to run our footage.
For tips on writing letters to the editor, as well as a
list of suggested newspapers, please visit
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/lte.html
or contact Stephany at
bfc-media@wildrockies.org for help.
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* LAST WORDS
"A patriot must be ready to defend his country against his
government"
~ Edward Abbey
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MEDIA & OUTREACH
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
BFC is the only group working in
the field every day
to defend the last wild herd of buffalo in America.
Stay informed! Get our weekly email Updates from the
Field:
Send your email address to
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
BOYCOTT BEEF! It's what's killing
wild buffalo. Speak
Out! Contact politicians and involved agencies today:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html
Write a Letter to the Editor of key newspapers:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/lte.html
Help the buffalo by recycling your used cell phones &
printer cartridges:
It's free and easy.
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/support/recycleprint.html
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