Authentic Task on the Banff Bison Reintroduction

(Founded in an Indigenous Pedagogy)

Grade 7 Science: Interactions and Ecosystems
Task Overview:

In this task, students will investigate a variety of perspectives on the recent reintroduction of
bison in Banff National Park. Within a learning circle, a number of students will be given a quote,
excerpt, or perspective to read. Each reading will be followed by a short period of discussion
(led by the teacher) in which students can reflect and share their views on the subject. In
participating in this activity, students should gain a sense of stewardship for Earth in general
and for the plains in particular due to their sense of place in the Alberta foothills.

Learning Outcomes:​ (from the Alberta Education Program of Studies)

STS Outcome 4: Describe the relationships among knowledge, decisions, and actions in
maintaining life-supporting environments.

Enduring Understandings: Essential Questions:

● Every human action has either a ● How do human activities affect

direct or an indirect impact on the ecosystems?
ecosystem.

● Earth is our home and it has given us ● How does our sense of place relate to
so much, so we should feel a sense of our actions?
responsibility to take care of it.

Skill Objectives: Attitude Objectives:

Students will be able to... Students will be encouraged to…

● Identify intended and unintended ● Demonstrate sensitivity and

consequences of human activities
within the environment (STS4a)
● Illustrate the limits of ST knowledge in
making decisions about life-supporting
environments (STS4c)
● Analyze a local issue based on
evidence from various sources, and
identify possible actions (STS4d)
responsibility in pursuing a balance
between the needs of humans and a
sustainable environment
● Appreciate that scientific
understanding evolves from the
interaction of ideas involving people
with different views and backgrounds

Duration:​ 60 minutes

Materials:

Material Quantity
 Talking stick (or substitute) 1

Printed readings (see attached) 10

Open area where students can sit in a circle N/A

Procedure:

1) Before beginning class, print, cut, and laminate (if possible) the short readings below.

2) Begin class by explaining the Indigenous sense of “Place”. Though Place includes the
geography of a location, it goes beyond this to include the both temporal and physical
aspects of the land, as well as its memories, histories, emotions, and relationships. Have
students reflect on the connections they have with their place (e.g. pair share).

3) Provide students with some background information on the bison reintroduction in Banff.
The teacher should explain that for thousands of years bison roamed in Banff National
Park; however, about 140 years ago they disappeared from the area. In 2017, Parks
Canada reintroduced a small herd of bison from Elk Island National Park to Banff
National Park. Bison are considered a keystone species to the Banff National Park
ecosystem and it is hoped that their reintroduction will support ecological integrity;
contribute to bison conservation since plains bison are only protected in three herds in
less than 0.5% of their original range in Canada; reconnect indigenous peoples and
bison; and create new opportunities for visitors and Canadians to learn about the
ecological and cultural importance of bison. The herd was first reintroduced to a fenced
paddock so that the herd could get used to each other and their new habitat. Then on
July 29th, 2018 the fence was open and 31 bison were released into 1200 sq km
reintroduction zone ​(Parks Canada, 2019).

4) Hand out readings, or lay them out on the ground for students to choose from. Give
students some time to read over their quotes. Have students take turns sharing their
quotes with the class by reading them out loud to the whole class. After each quote is
read, allow students to respond to and reflect on the ideas presented. Ask prompting
questions (see below) to generate deeper empathy for a variety of perspectives and to
foster application of prior knowledge of ecosystems and interactions. Continue until all of
the quotes have been read out and discussed.

Extension:

● If this lesson is conducted in autumn or spring, it can be conducted outdoors (e.g. Nose
Hill) in order to be more closely connected with place.
 ● Rocks, Sticks, and Leaves: Lead a talking circle in which students identify and speak to
the following: What really rocked for them about the lesson? What stuck out to them?
What do they want to leave with or leave behind?

● Student knowledge can be assessed on this topic by having students create a written
reflection on a format of their choosing (e.g. poem, essay, story, etc.) on how their
connection to place and knowledge about ecosystem interactions impacts their
perspectives on the bison reintroduction in Banff. To incorporate Indigenous
assessment, conduct conferences with individual students to discuss student learning
and their written reflections on the activity.

Additional Teacher Resources:

More Information on the Bison Reintroduction:

Parks Canada. (2019, July 3). Bison reintroduction project [Video series]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IlP53ULNO8

More Information on Indigenous Place:

AERC. (2008). Learning Indigenous science from place. Retrieved from
https://aerc.usask.ca/downloads/Learning-Indigenous-Science-From-Place.pdf

More Information on Talking Circles:

First Nations Pedagogy Online. (2009). Talking Circles Retrieved from:
https://firstnationspedagogy.ca/circletalks.html

References for the Quotes Below:

Calgary Foundation. (2019). Land acknowledgement (full) [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7re1r0FY-4Y&t=90s
Canadian Mountain Network. (2019). Enhancing bison reintroduction in Banff National Park
through local traditional knowledge. Retrieved from ​http://canadianmountainnetwork.ca/
First People. (n.d.). The first buffalo stone: A Blackfoot legend. Retrieved from
https://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/The-First-Buffalo-Stone-Blackfoot.html
National Bison Association. (2020). Bison and the environment. Retrieved from
https://bisoncentral.com/husbandry-item/bison-and-the-environment/
Parks Canada. (2019). Plains bison reintroduction. Retrieved from
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/banff/info/gestion-management/bison
U of L. (2017). Little Bear plays a role in bringing bison back to Banff. Retrieved from
https://www.uleth.ca/unews/article/little-bear-plays-role-bringing-bison-back-banff
UNESCO. (n.d.). Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. Retrieved from ​https://whc.unesco.org/en
Prompting Questions (for Teachers)

After an absence of over 100 years…

● How  is  the  return  of  the  buffalo  a  historic  triumph?  →  Bison  were  part  of  the  Alberta 
landscape  for  thousands  of  years,  but  they  disappeared  140  years  ago.  Bringing them back is 
 like bringing back a small piece of history and allows people to reconnect with what our land 
from the past.
● How  is  the  return  of  the  buffalo a cultural triumph → From hunting practices to legends, the 
buffalo were an integral part of the life of Indigenous peoples of the plains
● How  is  the  return  of  the  buffalo  an  ecological  triumph?  →  As  a  grazing  animal  they  create 
habitat  for  elk,  ground  squirrels  and  badgers.  Birds  use  the  fur  they  shed  in  nests  and  as  a 
large land mammal they provide a rich source of nutrients for bears, wolves and scavengers.

The bison will start to fill their niche in the ecosystem as “keystone species”…
● Based on what you know about ecosystems, how do you think bison will impact hundreds of 
other  species?  →  impact  on  food  web;  aeration  of  soil  and  dispersal  of  seeds  as  they  forage 
(better for plants to grow); this in turn creates habitat for other species in the grasslands
● Keystone species = “​a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if
it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically”. (Dictionary.com)

Our plains culture is very closely tied to our relationship with the buffalo…
● What  is  something  that  is  important  in  your  culture?  How  would  you  feel  if  it  was  taken 
away? → poutine, good health care, mountains 

In January of 2017, Parks Canada hosted a blessing ceremony at Elk Island National Park...
● How  has  Parks  Canada  incorporated  Indigenous  science  traditions  into  the  bison 
reintroduction?  →  As  the  bison  are  returning  to  their  place,  the  spiritual  aspect  of  place  was 
incorporated  into  their  reintroduction  by  having  Indigenous  nations  give  these  animals  a 
spiritual send off. 

For 10,000 years, plains bison ran wild in Alberta’s Banff area…
● How  do  you  feel  connected  to  this  problem?  →  Relationship  to  Place,  sense  of  stewardship 
and global citizenship; human impact on the ecosystems

Grasslands evolved to thrive under conditions of short periods of grazing…

● What  are  some  possible  changes  that  one  would  see  in  the  ecosystem  as a result of the bison 
stirring  up  the  soil.  Can  you  build  these  ideas into changes in a food web? → moisture in the 
soil  helps  many  plants  grow  better  which  provides  more  food  to  the  herbivores  such  as  elk. 
As  there  are  more  elk,  carnivores  such  as  wolves  will  have  more  to  feed  on  which  results  in 
more (or just healthier) wolves, ect. 

There’s a project on improving the Bison reintroduction through the inclusion of traditional knowledge…
● How  does  cultural  monitoring  compare  to  a  western  scientific  approach  to  ecosystem 
monitoring?  →  Cultural  monitoring  considers  both  quantitative  and  qualitative 
environmental  factors;  Indigenous  science  is  generally  based  on  more  pragmatic  knowledge 
 of  what  works and what doesn’t, whereas western science knowledge is is analytical and aims 
to reduce nature to its parts
● Why  is  it  important  to  include  both?  →  This  relates  to  the  concept  of  Two-eyed  seeing 
where  one  looks  through  the  lens  of  indignous  ways  of  knowing  and  western  ways  of 
knowing  to  paint  a  holistic  picture.  The  Indigenous  people  were  on  the  land  for  decades 
before  colonizers  came  and  they  lived  harmoniously  with  the  environment,  so  why  would 
one not use their ways of knowing?

The animals’ carcasses were then butchered in a camp set up below the cliff…
● How  does  this  quote  address  the  cultural  importance  of the buffalo? How might the absence 
of  buffalo have affected the culture of indigenous peoples? → the quote talks about how social 
systems  were  created  around  the  hunting  of  the  buffalo.  When the buffalo disappeared these 
social  systems  would  have  suffered  and  the  spiritual  needs/  interests  of  the indigeous peoples 
who hunted them would have been impacted. 

We were part of the ecosystem. We were not masters of it…

● How  does this idea of human interaction with the ecosystem differ from a traditional western 
view  point?  →  In  a  traditional  western  view  point  people  normally  do  not  consider 
themselves  as  part  of  the  ecosystem  but rather something greater than the ecosystem looking 
down on it. 

A Blackfoot legend tells of a time when the bison disappeared and the people were starving…
● Why do you think we choose to use a legend as a quote? → legends allow us to see how the 
indigeous peoples connected to the land through more than just the physical characteristics 
of it. They attached spiritual importance to the things in their ecosystem and this helped 
them create a greater connection to the land. It also helps us develop greater empathy for the 
fact that there are different interpretations of the world. 
After an absence of over 100 years, the return of wild bison is a historic, ecological
and cultural celebration. (Parks Canada)

The bison will start to fill their niche in the ecosystem as “keystone species” by
creating a habitat that benefits bugs, birds, bears, and hundreds of other species.
(Parks Canada)

Our plains culture is very closely tied to our relationship with the buffalo. Our
youth do not see the buffalo on a daily basis and cannot make connections, so those
parts of the culture based on the buffalo are not created. (Leroy Little Bear*)

*Little Bear is a member of the Kanai nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy

In January of 2017, Parks Canada hosted a blessing ceremony at Elk Island with
Indigenous nations in Treaty 6 and 7 and the Métis of Alberta to give bison a
proper spiritual send-off before their journey to Banff. (Parks Canada)

For 10,000 years, plains bison ran wild in Alberta’s Banff area. Within a single
lifetime, European settlers nearly demolished the species once numbered as big as
30 million due to overhunting, causing the extinction of bison in Banff National
Park for the past 170 years. (Parks Canada)

Grasslands evolved to thrive under conditions of short periods of grazing, hoof

action, and manuring, followed by periods of rest and recovery. As the bison graze,
their hoofs stir the soil, helping to bury seeds and create small pockets in the earth
to capture moisture. (National Bison Association, 2020)
There is a project on improving the reintroduction of Bison by including traditional
knowledge. This project is led by William Snow, a member of the Stoney Nakoda
First Nation. To capture Traditional Knowledge for the project, the Cultural
Monitoring method is used. This method uses local knowledge to identify
resources and monitor ecosystem change, using local knowledge and perspectives
in a way that is different but complementary to western science-based approaches.

The animals’ carcasses were butchered in a camp below the cliff to provide food
and materials for clothing, tools and living areas. The development of complex
social systems to harvest the herds in a group hunt nourished spiritual interests.
(UNESCO)

We were part of the ecosystem. We were not masters of it. The buffalo, the moose,
the elk, the antelope, the deer, the grass and the trees were more than us. (Spotted
Eagle*, 2019)

*Spotted Eagle is a member of the Tsuut’ina Nation

A Blackfoot legend tells of a time when the bison disappeared and the people were
starving. An old woman found a stone which sang of its great power and used it to
bring back the bison. The sacred buffalo stone (Iniskim) is a medicine object of the
Blackfoot. It is usually a fossilized shell that was found on the prairie. Some of the
stones look a lot like animals. In the old days, these stones were used in a ritual for
calling buffalo. The stones said to have called attention to themselves by making a
faint chirp much like a bird would make.