Ritchie Brown and Steve Funmaker, members of the Ho-Chunk Nation, traveled to Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, 25 miles east of Des Moines, Iowa, to provide "Limo" style transportation to newly acquired bison. Although the American bison herd at Neal Smith numbers only 35, compared to 150 in Ho-Chunk's herd, the animals are of a different origin and will provide genetic diversity to the Tribal bison herd.

Ritchie Brown, Division Manager of the Ho-Chunk Division of Natural Resources, an experienced bison handler, said, "These are good looking animals which will be used within the Ho-Chunk Nation bison project in Muscoda, Wisconsin to supplement the nutritional needs of tribal elders and members. We are pleased with our partnership activities with the Service and look forward to exploring future opportunities".

Neal Smith Refuge is one of five Service facilities that manage bison herds. These facilities identify "excess" animals - those which increase the size of the herd to the degree that the available forage land is overburdened. An annual assessment of the refuge bison herd revealed a surplus of five bison and plans were made to make selected bison available to Native American tribes as part of the Service's tribal trust responsibility.

After the bison were captured, members of the Ho-Chunk Nation were notified and made plans to transport the animals. Following tagging, health examinations and veterinarian certification, the bison were transferred from the holding corral to the tribal transportation vehicle. On November 5 an early morning snow cover and overcast weather created slick footing in the corral area; however, the refuge staff and tribal
personnel persevered and liberal use of a diesel tractor carried the day.

Bison contribute to a balanced prairie ecosystem and are an important element in an ecological and educational atmosphere. The value of the bison project is enhanced by cooperative activities involving a variety of conservation partners. Carefully managed herds portray a segment of history when large herds roamed the prairies of the great plains. The buffalo has traditionally been a major component in supporting life on the prairie for Native Americans and has become a favorite since reintroduced to tribal
members.