Denver transfers 34 bison to tribal nations through herd donation program

The city of Denver transferred 34 yearling bison to tribal nations on March 6 as part of a program that donates animals from the city’s municipal herd to Indigenous communities, according to Denverite. The animals came from Denver Parks and Recreation’s herd at Genesee Park near Golden, Colorado, one of the few bison herds in the country owned and managed by a city. Since the program began five years ago, Denver has transferred more than 170 bison to 12 tribal nations and Native organizations, according to Denverite.

This year, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and the Navajo Nation were selected to receive the animals. The yearlings were sorted into pens and loaded into trailers before being transported to tribal lands. City officials began donating the young bison instead of auctioning them as part of the herd management program, which is currently scheduled to continue through 2030, according to Denverite.