At a Blackfoot-run bison ranch in Southern Alberta, restoring tradition brings collective healing

// custom header art window.tgam.meta.photo_desktop = "https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_01_H2_xl.jpg"; window.tgam.meta.photo_mobile = "https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_01_V2_sm.jpg"; // editable custom header parameters window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_vertical_position_desktop = "centre"; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_horizontal_position_desktop = "right"; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_vertical_position_mobile = "top"; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_gradient = true; window.tgam.meta.centre_headline = false; window.tgam.meta.large_headline = false; window.tgam.meta.label_text_colour = ""; window.tgam.meta.label_box_colour = "#a00f19"; window.tgam.meta.banner_overlay_gradient = true; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_gradient_opacity = ""; // editable custom header display overrides window.tgam.meta.display_head = "Herd vitality"; window.tgam.meta.display_deck = "At a Blackfoot-run bison ranch in Southern Alberta, restoring tradition brings collective healing"; window.tgam.meta.label = "Underexposed"; window.tgam.meta.byline = "Photography and story by Leah Hennel"; window.tgam.meta.byline2 = ""; window.tgam.meta.creditline = "The Globe and Mail"; // non-editable custom header parameters - PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay = true; window.tgam.meta.two_column = false; window.tgam.meta.swap_column = false; window.tgam.meta.full_width = true; window.tgam.meta.narrow_width = false; window.tgam.meta.dark_background = true; window.tgam.meta.dark_background_colour = "#0a0a0a"; window.tgam.meta.sans_headline = false; window.tgam.meta.label_text_colour_overlay = "" ; window.tgam.meta.label_box_colour_overlay = "#a00f19"; window.tgam.meta.audio_bar = false; window.tgam.meta.banner = true; window.tgam.meta.banner_border = false; window.tgam.meta.banner_overlay_dark = false; window.tgam.meta.caption_background_colour = ""; window.tgam.meta.caption_text_colour = ""; window.tgam.meta.full_height = true; // gi lazy images window.lazySizesConfig = window.lazySizesConfig || {}; Object.assign(window.lazySizesConfig, { lazyClass: "gi-lazyimage", loadedClass: "gi-lazyimage--loaded", loadingClass: "gi-lazyimage--loading", preloadClass: "gi-lazyimage--preload", errorClass: "gi-lazyimage--error", autosizesClass: "gi-lazyimage--autosizes", expand: 1000 }); const gi_content = ` [content] :skip ****** series box ****** :endskip [.slide] type: series [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_02_sm.jpg photo-lg: photo-xl: fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] More than 20 years ago, Dan Fox’s body began to mysteriously shut down. [] [.+paragraphs] After doctors informed him that invasive surgery was the only course of action, Fox – whose Blackfoot name is Omahksipiita – sought advice from his mother, Emma. She told him not to worry. “Us Native people,” she reassured her son, “we still have our own medicines.” [] [.+paragraphs] Fox soon embraced a holistic approach to self-care, including a strict diet that featured regular servings of bison bone broth, courtesy of Elders (whom he respectfully calls the “grandmothers and aunties” of his community). Fox’s health, eventually, was restored. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_03_sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_03_lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_03_xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: true [.text] [.+paragraphs] Around the same time, he started to stock his 450 acres of grassland, an area located a couple hours south of Calgary, with bison calves. [] [.+paragraphs] The resulting herd, which is now thriving, has earned a reputation for quality. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_04_sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_04_lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_04_xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] For Dan Fox, who operates the Wolfcrow Bison Ranch with his family, bison represent everything – a healthier lifestyle and a living connection to his Indigenous culture. [] [.+paragraphs] “We raise the animal, we take care of the animal, we honour the animal,” says Fox, a member of the Kainai First Nation’s Blood Reserve. “We weren’t guided by the best bison producers. We were guided by the old ladies — they told us what to do.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_06_sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_06_lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_06_xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] He knows bison are an important part of his heritage, an integral part of his identity. So he respects his herd. [] [.+paragraphs] “The first thing the Elders told us is that they’re not a monetary thing,” the 66-year-old says. “The animal was given to us by the Creator to bring health and life.‘” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_05_sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_05_lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_05_xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] There are things more important than money. The return of bison to his spread, for instance, has helped to restore its delicate eco-system — “a keystone part of the environment,” is how Fox describes the grasslands. [] [.+paragraphs] “If I had thousands of acres, I would bring a thousand animals back.” [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych aspect-ratio: 3-2 [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_07_lg.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_07_lg.jpg photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_08_sm.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_08_lg.jpg [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] In 2006, Fox, eager to involve the community in his undertaking, staged his first ceremonial harvest. Three animals were butchered, with the meat going to Elders and in-need families in the area. [] [.+paragraphs] Harvests, held every October, are for invited guests, Elders and community members. Some youth and adult groups also attend. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_09_sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_09_lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_09_xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] Lazaya Villeneuve, a member of Urban Society of Aboriginal Youth, spent the weekend at the camp learning from Elders about traditional and cultural ways of harvesting bison. It marked the Calgarian’s first time at Fox’s ranch. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_10_sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_10_lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_10_xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] “Growing up in the city, I’ve never experienced anything like that,” says Villeneuve. “It was really eye-opening to learn how our people lived in the past and how we utilized everything and how community came together for the whole event.” [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych aspect-ratio: 3-2 [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_11_sm.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_11_lg.jpg photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_12_sm.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_12_lg.jpg [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] Amanda Weaselfat, whose Blackfoot name is Mi’saami’kiitokiakii, is a member of the Kainai First Nation who has participated in Fox’s harvests for 11 years. [] [.+paragraphs] “It has helped me re-connect to ceremony and, in doing these things, I feel as though I get to visit with my grandparents, if only for a short time,” said Weaselfat. “Practising in our traditional ways keeps their spirits close to me, and this is more valuable than any worldly possessions.” [] [.+paragraphs] She says that the connection with her ancestry through the harvest has helped her with substance abuse problems. She is healing “by connecting with my roots and instilling pride in myself for participating in our traditional practices.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_13_sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_13_lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_13_xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] “It was the grandmothers who guided us back to this way of life,” says Dan Fox/Omahksipiita. “How to deal with the animal, how to emotionally heal, how to spiritually heal, how to physically heal. How to use everything but the grass in their stomachs.” [] [.+paragraphs] “So that’s where this traditional harvest came from. And today, for my whole family, it’s our way of life.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_14_sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_14_lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/ab-bison/images/AB_HENNEL_14_xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: true fullscreen-desktop: true [.text] [.+paragraphs] [] [] [] :skip ****** photographer bio ****** :endskip [.slide] type: bio label: About the photographer photo:https://www.theglobeandmail.com/resizer/v2/X5BJIWOP3FFLHEFHJGQWIQDMNU.JPG?auth=bf6deefb65b3f995bf69e2f34d9073548320bafb9f7c3b9fc97a67e963c4a72c&width=1920&quality=80 photo-credit: Photo by Scott Cruickshank bio: Leah Hennel is a Calgary-based photojournalist who has travelled the globe to cover a wide range of assignments. But she’s managed to discover some of her most arresting images in her own back yard. Leah is passionate about telling stories that showcase her home province, especially the lesser-known communities and landscapes that make Alberta unique. [] :skip ****** credits ****** :endskip [.slide] type: credits [.+credits] Photography and story by Leah Hennel Editing by Lisan Jutras Photo editing by Merle Robillard Digital presentation by Mackenzie Lad Visuals editing by Liz Sullivan Interactive design and development by Christopher Manza [] [] [] `; !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r