Bison ‘Coming Home’ to Choctaw Cultural Center Prairie

DURANT, Okla. – Bison will return to the Choctaw Nation on Friday, April 10 when three small heifers will join the grounds of the Choctaw Cultural Center. The Center and CNO Tribal Historic Preservation Department will host a “Welcoming the Bison Home” event to celebrate.

Doors open at 10 a.m. with activities starting at 10:15 a.m. in the lobby of the Cultural Center, 1919 Hina Hanta Way in Durant. Admission to attend the event is free, courtesy of the Chahta Foundation.

Bison herds were plentiful throughout the prairie of North America as late as the 18^th century. However, as the settlement of the West expanded, by 1800 the bison disappeared in many regions, including southern Oklahoma, due to hunting and loss of natural habitat.

“Bison will be returning to the Choctaw Cultural Center’s prairie remnant for the first time in more than 150 years,” said Ian Thompson, PhD, senior director of Tribal Historic Preservation.

The animals will graze on 100 acres of natural prairie adjoining the Cultural Center. A bull and two more heifers, and eventually their calves, will be added later this year.

The initial herd was obtained from an auction of the Oklahoma Bison Association with funds from private donors.

At the event, Thompson will offer “Yvnnvsh: The Bison,” teaching about the animals in Choctaw history, culture and its ecology.

He will be followed at 11 a.m. by the keynote address, “The Importance of Tallgrass Prairie Remnants Today” by Jared Huebner, director of Prairie Management, Missouri Prairie Foundation.

At 11:30 a.m., a talk called “2025 Research on the Choctaw Cultural Center Prairie,” about the abundance of more than 200 native plant species on the local prairie will be given by Priscilla Crawford, PhD, Oklahoma Biological Survey.

At 1 p.m., activities move outdoors for a one-hour Prairie Walk with Thompson and Alexandria Szakas, PhD, Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s Department of Biological Sciences.

Also, from 1 to 4 p.m., golf cart bison tours will be offered.

Information booths will be set up by Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Natural Resources, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Tribal Historic Preservation, Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, Okies for Monarchs, Oklahoma Native Plant Society, Prairie Ecology, and WildCare Oklahoma.

After the April 10 premiere of the bison program, golf cart bison tours will be offered on a regular basis at the Center. Additional bison-related programming and activities are planned for the future.

Regular entry costs apply to visit the rest of the Center, including complimentary admission for members of the Choctaw Nation and people with museum membership. General admission also has discounts for active military, veterans, college students, senior citizens, citizens of other tribes, children and Choctaw Nation associates.