On Bison: Charging Forward, Reflecting the Past

Derek and Kathy Simmit's path to Crown B Bison is a lovely one—rooted in knowledge of history, deep connection to the land, and an appreciation of the natural world. When they talk and write about their bison ranch, you can hear the thoughtfulness, intention, and values behind what they do.

Derek has worked as a Social Studies teacher, so he knows—as you probably do—what a key resource bison were for the Native Americans on the Great Plains. They provided everything from food to shelter to tools to toys. So they were valued, respected, revered. Every part of them was used thoughtfully and completely.

That attitude exemplifies some of the most important principles behind Full Circle. Sure, we’re glad we don't have to gather buffalo droppings to start a fire or use a bison bladder as a canteen. But the ability to look at “waste” and see “resources”. . . that was essential to survival for most of human history. And it’s essential to the survival of the planet as we know it for humans to develop that ability again.

We're excited to work with Crown B Bison to support local, sustainable meat production and to aid their goal of protecting bison by raising and educating people about them. We have so much to learn from the history of the American Bison. It’s the story of transition from the careful use of resources to a belief that resources were limitless. It's the story of mass slaughter, subsequent starvation, and unfathomable waste.

Rath & Wright's buffalo hide yard in Dodge City, Kansas, with 40,000 buffalo hides. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain.

But the path of history doesn't have to be linear. With education, we hope to find our way back again.

This week across the state, grade-school kids colored pictures of bison in celebration of Kansas Day. They learned about buffalo chips and tipis made from bison hide. Let’s make sure we teach them that this is not an outdated way of thinking. Let’s teach them about all the resources our state has to offer: wind, sun, soil, gas, oil, plants, animals, minerals. Let’s brainstorm how to use those building blocks to meet our needs without polluting, poisoning, eroding, depleting, or leaving a trail of destruction in our wake.

There are so many places to start. Eating locally when you can is one—perhaps with a bison burger or bison burrito! (See the Crown B website for cooking tips and a recipe.) Take a trip to Holton to tour Crown B Bison in person and talk about the other wildlife you see there. Come to our next Fix-It Clinic and talk about using creativity and skill to make our limited resources last. Or visit the Kansas Museum of History (pictured above), which tells hard truths along with happy ones and leaves you with the question "What Is the Future of Kansas?" It's a challenge to write a next chapter that shows we've learned from the past.

So let's reflect, gather the herd, then charge forward . . . in a full-circular direction!

-Justine

Resources

"Why Is Destruction Part of Our Story?" from The American Buffalo: A Film by Ken Burns, PBS.org.

Note: We highly recommend watching this for the reminder. It's worth the 10 minutes.