Evening star., 1936-08-09

white men at their own game. which
they themselves no longer were able
to play without plenty Of Government
assistance.
Turns Bison Loose.
Now all the bison we're not eXter-
minated in the days OF the great
hunts. A few struggling herds re-
mained on preserves-notably in YELL
lowstone National Park and in Can
ada. The Yellowstone herd was in
creasing too fast for the pasturage.
The excess animals we're slaughtered.
1T made my heart sick to see it done, y
says Yellowtail Three years ago he
begged the park officials to give him
their excess animals. They spared
him 40. He let them loose in the high
mountain ranges.
This Is the country Of the bison.
They can live and find paSturage the
year around where sheep and cattle
soon would perish. They can pene-
trate into deep canyons which are
inaccessible to the domestic animals.
Yellowtail'S idea was to restock the
reservation with bison as it was be-
fore the days of the white men, and
to induce economic self sufficiency
by restoring in large part the old
bison culture. His herd now has in
creased to 400. The animals are
rigidly protected. He Is so jealous OF
them that the other day he refused
permission to kill an old bull which
was running amuck. In few years,
at the present rate Of increase, there
will be about 1000 of the animals with
a natural increase Of 400 or 500 a
year.
Then Yellowtail expects to turn
the Crows loose to kill off each Fall a
number equivalent to the natural
increase. The meat will be cured
and stored at the reservation head
quarters or at the headquarters Of
the different districts. 1t will belong
to the tribe It will be distributed
gratis to all the Crows, and an OBJ
vious oversupply may be sold. -Four
hundred full-groWn bison should
prove an adequate meat supply for
5000 people. The hides. 1t is possible.
will be sold. They are worth about
$50 each now. and the proceeds will
60 into the tribal treasury for equal
distribution. Once the herd Is es-
tablished, says Yellowtail, the Crows
can defy the world economically.
Herd of Elk.
But this is only part of his self
sufficiency plan. In addition to the
bison, he has introduced a herd of
elk which now numbers 600 and a
heard of deer running to nearly 1900.
AS these herds increase in size, ap-
propriate numbers will be killed each
year and their flesh added to the
tribal meat supply. They also win
furnish a large part Of the clothing.
The Crows have not departed far
from the sartorial ways of their an
cestors. Men and women still wear
high deerskin moccasins and coats.
For years past they have been obliged
to buy the hides from which the
women make these costumes.
Thus Bobby Yellowtail's ideas of
empire include full larder and a
new suit for everybody every year.
This does not take into consideration
the black bears and the grizzlies-the
former of which are increasing very
rapidly in the mountain forests. The
day may come when there will be a
bearskin coat for everybody every few
years.
1t is perhaps the most ambitious
and successful experiment in game
conservation yet attempted In Amer
lea which Yellowtail is carrying out
in the Alpine Businesses Of his people.
Its success depends, for the time be-
ing, on absolute protection from hunt
ers. He would be helpless without
the complete agreement of the Grow
tribal council, the body through which
the Indians exercise nominal self
government. The council has placed
a complete ban on hunters, red or
white. Fortunately, the reservation Is
surrounded by Federal territory-the
Bighorn National Forest and Yellow
stone National Park, where hunting
also is banned. The game can wan
der a long way without any danger OF
being killed.
Animals Are Unafraid.
The effects of this complete pro.
lection are demonstrated In the be.
hayior of the animals. There is nc
law of tooth and claw in the Grow
empire. Accompanying MIR. Yellow
tail on an inspection trip one enters
q mountain Eden. Over the mountain
road an auto can be driven within Is
feet of a herd of grazing bison. They
looked UP without much interest and
continued grazing. Not mixing with
them, but only few yards away cat
tie feed contentedly. A great elk with
its magnificent horns stands at the
edge of a jack pine grove and gazes
curiously and gently at the human
intruders. The shy deer hop away
leisurely. Even the porcupines gro
tesquely dispute the right Of way
These animals never have heard thu
sound of gun. They have never hac
rvftin0 frov,e man hi1t kindnAsg