Bison 2022 restoration

Bison restoration important to heal grasslands and Native Nations

Prairie 2021 Grassland Destroyed

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that grasslands disappearing

Prairie 2021 Pawnee Corn

Pawnee still harvest non-hybrid corn

Prairie 2021 Grouse

Noise pollution disrupts navigation, mating rituals, and communication for prairie wildlife

Prairie 2020 Autumn

Autumn is a time of change in the prairie

Prairie 2019 chicken

Decline of the greater prairie chicken mirrors decline of the prairie

Prairie 2017 landuse

Prairie land use has nationwide implications

Prairie 2016 hugeexpansion

Huge expansion for American Prairie Reserve

Prairie 2015 GMO Corn

Genetic modification threatens farming practices

hist-5702-photo-Soil as Carbon Storehouse, Judith Schwartz

Soil as carbon storehouse

Prairie 2004 prairiedogs

Cattlemen extermination of black-tailed prairie dogs

Prairie 2002 birddecline

Decline in grassland birds

hist-5701-photo-The Great Plains Precarious Soil, Dennis Senft

The Great Plains precarious soil

Bison 1990 InterTribal Bison Cooperative

InterTribal Bison Cooperative forms

Prairie 1981 pesticides

Pesticides cause alarm in the west

hist-5699-photo-Irrigating the Plains Creates Waves of Corn, John Hudson

Irrigating the Plains creates waves of corn

Prairie 1939 dust

Dust lifting into the darkening sky

Prairie 1930s blackblizzards

Black blizzards

hist-5697-photo-Attack of Cow, Sheep, Hog, and Man, Herman Pepoon

Attack of cow, sheep, hog, and man

Prairie 1890s Ghost Dance

Native tribes seek environmental salvation through The Ghost Dance

Prairie 1885 buffalo

The extermination of the buffalo

hist-5695-photo-No Trace of the Original Country, Charles Holden

No trace of the original country

Prairie 1880 Devils Rope

"Devil's rope" ends the era of the open range

hist-5694-photo-On Came the Giant Plow and Breaking Team, George Woodruff

On came the giant plow and breaking team

Prairie 1871 Elk Disappear

Elk rapidly disappearing

Prairie 1870s Pawnee Corn

Pawnee ancestral corn seeds can't be grown on Oklahoma soil

Bison 1800 Reservations

Native people confined on reserves and bison slaughtered

Prairie 1843 Abundant Wildlife

Animals abundant beyond belief

hist-5692-photo-There You Are as if on an Ocean, Frederick Marryat

There you are as if on an ocean

Prairie 1837 Deeres Plow

Invention of the steel plow

Prairie 1832 Pristine Wildness

"a state of pristine wildness"

Prairie 1828 undulating

The undulating prairie

Prairie early 19th century Plains Perception

Public perception of the prairie changes

Prairie 1700s Corn and Pumpkins

The Pawnee were semi-nomadic

Prairie 1600 Lakota Camp

Diseased European trade goods devastate native tribes

Prairie 1541 Vast Plains

Plains so vast 

Prairie 1450 Animals for Trade

Expansive trade system integral to native life in the Plains

hist-5690-photo-Legend of the Prairie Rose, Lakota

Legend of the prairie rose

Prairie 700 Elk

Creation of the grasslands: an Osage myth

Prairie 1200 Corn

Corn has been the food of the Wichita for generations

Prairie 10000 Wind Cave

Lakota emerge from Washun Niye

Prairie 13000 Glacial formation

The American Prairie forms

American Prairie

Land use and agriculture

The landscape of the American prairie has been changed completely since the industrialization of agriculture throughout the 19th century. The soil, while resilient to irregular rainfall, was historically enriched by a balance of deeply rooted native vegetation and fertilizer from migrating wildlife. Plains Native Americans grew variations of corn, beans and squash for generations. The invention of the steel plow in 1837 aided white farmers in digging up the entrenched grasses and shrubs to make room for large, productive vegetable fields. Removing these roots, however, obstructed the system which held onto moisture and stabilized the soil. Over time, drought turned the farms to dust and created dangerous storms of flying debris. Along with the soil went stored carbon into the atmosphere. 

Habitat loss

Residential and agricultural expansion have replaced the land which once served as habitat to the diverse wildlife population of the prairie. Inventing both the steel plow and barbed wire allowed humans to systematically account for all corners of the undulating grasslands. Rolling hills were separated into square parcels, deeply rooted native grasses were ripped from the ground, and migratory paths were blockaded with thorned fencing. As cities emerged and transportation methods advanced, noise pollution has further disrupted the navigation paths, mating rituals, and communication methods for wildlife living in the prairies. 

Biodiversity loss

The American Prairie was once home to an extensive, symbiotic network of native flora and fauna. The landscape nurtured and provided for the inhabitant species, and vice versa as the herds migrated across the vast region. Settler journals raved unbelievable clay deposits, countless bison raising their calves, and endless fields of grass. These visions begin to dissolve in the mid-19th century as native americans are confined to reserves and bison populations are decimated along with many other native wildlife populations. Overhunting, habitat loss, and agricultural expansion caused severe loss in elk, grassland bird species, and prairie dog & chicken populations. 

 Bison

Although now designated as the official mammal of the United States, present day herds of American Bison are a fragment of the native populations which once roamed the prairie. When the Lakota people emerged from Wind Cave, they were instructed to follow the bison for everything they needed to survive. For generations, the animal was celebrated and praised by prairie tribes. White settlers would later describe seemingly endless populations of bison in their journals. Hunting the animal became a careless and ruthless act. During the 19th century, the species nearly went extinct, with only 85 wild animals remaining in the United States. Efforts have since been put forth to protect and raise the remaining population, but most bison are now raised in captivity or as livestock. The Intertribal Bison Cooperative currently works to bring herds to Native American reservations throughout the plains, in an effort to heal communities as well as the grasslands. 

Most Pressing Issues

American Prairie Reserve

American Prairie Reserve is working to create the largest nature reserve in the contiguous United States. The Montana-based nonprofit has been purchasing private land throughout the midwest since 2004, beginning with the Montana Glaciated Plains. The Reserve aims to provide habitat for plains wildlife species and preserve Native American and homestead-era historical sites.  

Intertribal Buffalo Council

Composed of 69 federally recognized tribes, The Intertribal Buffalo Council spans 19 different states working to restore the American bison population and return herds to Indian Country. By reestablishing bison populations, the council aims to heal and preserve the historical and cultural relationship between Native Americans and the bison. 

How You Can Help

The American Prairie