November 03, 2016 - 12:45 PM
WIND RIVER INDIAN RESERVATION, Wyo. - The Latest on the release of buffalo on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming:
1:30 p.m.
Members of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe in Wyoming have released 10 buffalo onto their reservation lands.
The release marks the first time buffalo have roamed on the Wind River Indian Reservation since they were wiped out more than a century ago.
Hundreds of people turned out for a ceremony that included a prayer and singing before the buffalo were released from a corral.
The 10 genetically pure buffalo come from a federal refuge in Iowa. The National Wildlife Federation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have worked on the restoration project.
Buffalo provided food and shelter to the Eastern Shoshone and other tribes before the vast herds of the animals were slaughtered in the late 1800s.
Tribal officials say they hope to establish a large herd that will allow children on the reservation to experience how their ancestors traditionally used the animals and to share in their spiritual importance.
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2:45 a.m.
Members of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe are marking the return of buffalo to their reservation in central Wyoming more than a century after the animals were wiped out.
The tribe is holding a ceremony Thursday marking the release of 10 genetically pure buffalo from a federal refuge in Iowa. The National Wildlife Federation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have worked on the project.
Buffalo provided food and shelter to the Eastern Shoshone and other Indian tribes before the vast herds of the animals were slaughtered in the late 1800s.
Jason Baldes leads the buffalo restoration work for the Eastern Shoshone. He says establishing a large buffalo herd on the reservation will allow children there to experience how their ancestors traditionally used the animals and share in their spiritual importance.
News from © The Associated Press, 2016