Bringing Back the Buffalo

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The Buffalo Reserve Charitable Trust was chartered to provide buffalo as a food source for Native Americans with diabetes, who are pregnant, or who have special dietary needs. With vision and careful planning the trustees and staff of the Buffalo Reserve Charitable Trust (BRCT), and its INFCA affiliates have initiated a campaign to raise money for the purpose of solving the rising levels of obesity and diabetes for those of Native American descent.  The INFCA-Buffalo Reserve Charitable Trust has begun an intertribal tourism demonstration project on over 6,000 acres of land in the Arbuckle Mountains at Honey Creek in Murray County, Oklahoma.  INFCA guided horseback riding towns in the Arbuckle Mountains at Turner Falls and other wilderness experiences to include western-style outfitter’s experience.

People of Native American ancestry (according to the World Health Organization) have a disposition of inheriting the “thrifty genotype.” The “thrifty genotype” is expressed in populations who lived in “a formerly harsh natural environment, and now because of socioeconomic modernization, this normally healthy genetic trait has impacted nutritional habits and exercise patterns.  The result has been the development of obesity, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, frequently with concomitant  hypertension and hyperlipidaemia.”[1]  For this reason a major goal of the BRCT is the assembly, distribution, and raising of bison. Studies indicate that not only a lower fat content, but much less saturated fat and higher protein levels are contained in buffalo meat than beef.  Buffalo meat is high in conjugated linoleic acid  and  reduces body fat mass in overweight and obese humans [2]  Bison has one-fourth the fat of beef; one-third the fat of chicken; and one half the fat of turkey (USDA National Database).  Bison is lower in fat and higher in protein than halibut, salmon, swordfish and trout (USDA National Database).  Bison has three times more iron than chicken; two times more iron than turkey; and seven times more than salmon (USDA National Database). Bison has half the artery-clogging fats of soy (Study conducted by University of Massachusetts, Lowell). The American Heart Association’s Eating Plan for Healthy Americans includes lean buffalo meat (©2000 American Heart Association).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: 100 grams of bison compared to other common meats has:

- Bison has 1/4 the fat of Beef; 1/3 the fat of Chicken; and 1/2 the fat of Turkey. (USDA National Database)

- Bison is lower in fat and higher in protein than Halibut, Salmon, Swordfish and Trout. (USDA National Database)

- Bison has 3 times more iron than Chicken; 2 times more iron Turkey; and 7 times more than Salmon. (USDA National Database)

- Bison has half the artery-clogging fats of soy. (Study conducted by University of Massachusetts, Lowell).

A principal aim of the Buffalo Reserve Charitable Trust is to provide capital and resources, and continuing education on the health benefits, related to the reimplementation of bison meat into the North American diet and to place land into conservation and sustainable use programs to bring buffalo back to Native America.  These same lands are used in ecotourism and other sustainable land use strategies. 

The Buffalo Reserve Charitable Trust is campaigning to procure buffalo, fencing, and enhancement of property of our Buffalo Reserve land at Honey Creek on the Washita River.  Additionally, the INFCA Buffalo Reserve Charitable Trust through its INFCA affiliates is  developing renewable energy opportunities in rural Indian Country.  One such project, Easiwall, will promote super-insulated  wallboard from local grown wheat straw.

The INFCA Buffalo Reserve Charitable Trust’s trustees, staff, and other concerned individuals have determined that a major fund-raising campaign should be launched to undertake this project. The place to begin the assembly and distribution of bison is at our Honey Washita Buffalo Reserve. However, before we go forward, we must have input from our community’s leaders, and we invite anyone with a sincere interest to participate.

The location of the one hundred and thirty acre Honey Washita Buffalo Reserve: is on the Washita River bottom at Honey Creek Pass where Honey Creek intersects with the Washita River.  Very near I-35 exit 51, Highway 77, Santa Fe Railroad, Arbuckle Mountains, Honey Creek flows over Turner Falls immediately upstream from our location.  There are over 100 Peron trees on this land.  The Spanish conquistador, Coronado camped here in the 16^th century.

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