Regina

Why the bison?
My inspiration to make an American Bison mask was twofold. Firstly, I admire the species’ majestic characteristics and noble behaviour. They are strong, fearless, intelligent, confident and, despite their large size, extremely agile. They are social animals and their matriarchal herds protect the young, elderly and ill when threatened. Secondly, I grew up on the Canadian prairies in Regina, Saskatchewan, which was previously called oskana ka-asasteki (pile of bones) by the First Nations. The pile of bones referred to the remains of the once numerous bison that roamed freely across most of North America for millennia. At the start of European settler colonization, the bison population was estimated at 30-60 million. Although it was impossible to count individuals, herd counts were sometimes estimated by the number of days it took for the herd to pass one place. The bison had ecological, cultural and spiritual significance for the First Nations people who relied on them for food, shelter and clothing. By the late 1800’s it is estimated that only a few hundred bison remained. They were exterminated by hunters for their hides, bones for fertilizer and china, and most significantly as a means to subjugate the First Nations people and deprive them of a food source. The social and environmental impacts of the colonial campaign to exterminate the bison are still evident across the prairies. Although present day population estimates are 30000 in conservation herds and 350000 in commercial herds, bison still face many challenges. The populations are severely fragmented as land use and property rights limit their natural free roaming capacity. Also, there is widespread introgression of cattle DNA in most bison because the earliest conservation efforts were conducted by ranchers experimenting with hybridization. The American bison is considered Near Threatened by the IUCN because of its dependence on conservation initiatives.

Photographer: Heather Bourque