Suzanne Sbarge, Herd

Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake is home to a large herd of wild bison. In Indigenous ecological philosophy, animals are seen as kin. The relationship with bison sustained thousands of years of human life before European colonization and holds deep spiritual significance. The colonial campaign of eradication nearly destroyed bison and Indigenous lifeways together. The modern conservation narrative that began without Indigenous voices now intersects with contemporary movements for Tribal-led restoration of wild herds. While the conservation of bison on Antelope Island prevented further extinction, it also represents a legacy where colonization transformed an Indigenous relative into a managed species under state and commercial control.