Apr 27, 2004 - 23:16:10 CDT
A decision whether the Three Affiliated Tribes can have any more bison from National Park Service land in North Dakota could come this week.An unannounced inspection of the tribes' bison in late March by a New Town veterinarian found 34 dead bison and much of the herd of between 580 and 660 sick and weakened from malnutrition.
Bison hold a sacred place in the tribes' culture, and allegations of inhumane and cruel treatment have caused concern among tribal members.
Tribal Chairman Tex Hall denies the allegations and said his own inspection found the bison in generally good health and good hands. Also, a Watford City veterinarian inspected the herd and reported it in overall good condition.
The tribes' base herd comes from Theodore Roosevelt National Park's North and South units when bison are culled to prevent overpopulation.
The park will re-examine a five-year bison transfer agreement in light of the allegations, said chief ranger Gary Kiramidjian.
A biannual roundup will be held this fall and the bison would go elsewhere if the agreement were terminated before its scheduled expiration next year.
Kiramidjian said he is still waiting for a report from New Town Police Chief Frank Felix, who accompanied veterinarian Kristi Pennington on her inspection.
Kiramidjian said he has made repeated requests for Felix's report and may have to proceed without it.
Kiramidjian said he knows the bison issue is urgent, but he wants all the information before making a decision.
This is the second year Theodore Roosevelt National Park has been drawn into allegations that the tribe's bison have been starved and mistreated.
This year, tribal authorities asked for a second opinion from veterinarian Bob Nelson, of Watford City. Nelson said he found some problems with bison confinement at the Mandaree site and satisfactory herd health at the Figure 4 Ranch in Dunn County this year.
In the meantime, all the bison have been transferred to the Figure 4 Ranch, because of grazed down pastures at Mandaree.
The tribes own the Figure 4 Ranch, which is nonreservation land purchased by the tribes in the late '90s. The federal Bureau of Land Management owns some 4,000 acres of pasture at the ranch.
The BLM recently inspected range conditions at the ranch. Any action would be taken by the Belle Fouche, S.D., office. However, the range conservationist there was not available for comment.
Tribal councilman Marcus Wells Jr. said the allegations of bison treatment were raised at a council meeting earlier this month and were to be addressed at the end of the month.
(Reach reporter Lauren Donovan at 888-303-5511 or lauren@westriv.com.)
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