From the beginning of their existence, many American Indian tribes have been deeply connected to the buffalo and used the buffalo as a primary source of food, clothing, tools and spirituality. 

“We reached the zenith of our existence on the earth because of the buffalo,” said Rick Williams, local scholar and advocate. He is also a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and is part Cheyenne. 

The way of life for the tribes who called Colorado home changed drastically as settlers targeted American Indians and buffalo in lethal ways. Buffalo went from an estimated 70 million that roamed across North America to only a few hundred left at the turn of the 20th century. Throughout the 1900s conservationists, bison ranchers and tribes slowly built back up herds saving this animal from extinction. Currently there are about 500,000 bison living throughout the country. 

Government entities, nonprofits, ranchers and tribes are working to further restore the national mammal to its homeland. In Colorado, Denver Parks and Recreation maintain two herds for conservation and then transfer extra bison to tribes; the Southern Ute Tribe is using their bison herd to feed tribal members; bison ranchers have adapted to better ways to raise bison by letting them live independently off prairie grasslands; conservation herds have also recently received more funding for space and maintenance for the buffalo. 

More than an animal, more than the environment, these episodes explore the impact the return of the buffalo can have. 

The first episode premiered Oct. 12 and the second premiered Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. on Rocky Mountain PBS and our YouTube. 

You can watch both episodes below. 

With the upcoming release of Ken Burns’ "The American Buffalo" and RMPBS’ "Colorado Experience | Return of the Buffalo," many will wonder about the interchangeable use of the words buffalo and bison. 

So let’s dive in.

Bison (pictured above) is the scientific name for the large mammals found across North America and Europe.

Water and African buffalo (pictured above) are the common names for two other creatures that are similar in physicality and occupy a similar space in the ecosystem that live in Asia and Africa. However, neither of those have the word “buffalo” in their scientific names either. 

When Europeans first colonized North America and saw these animals, they called them buffalo. This misnomer was eventually adopted by many American Indian tribes.

Today, most American Indian tribes refer to these animals, which are so integral to the physical and spiritual lives of Native peoples, as buffalo. Given the cultural ties and history with using the name buffalo, the title of these films were intentionally chosen.

Note: This map does not include all commercial herds raised for meat production or other products, to find that you can search the Rocky Mountain Bison Association website.

Red points are herds not open for public tours. Blue points are herds available for public viewing.