The Yellowstone
Net Newspaper Wednesday October 22, 1997 Vol. 1 No. 6 |
||||
|
the Yellowstone Net Newspaper is published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays ARCHIVES DISCUSSION FORUMS Go to Yellowstone Net Home Page Note: In-house stories are signified by the abbreviation YNET. Otherwise, the stories herein are from outside sources, to which proper credit is given.
Publisher / Editor Staff Writers |
Buffalo which have wandered out of Yellowstone in the winter have actually been killed in previous years, but not in such numbers as last winter. One individual who has sought to bring some positive results out of the winter killing of the buffalo for the past three years is Gloria Wells-Norlin, the Tribal Cultural Leader of the Little Shell Band of Chippewas. Her efforts led to the founding of "One People, One Nation," a non-profit Montana-based organization. Working with the Department of Livestock, Wells-Nolin and "One People, One Nation" have spent the past three years working to establish a network of concerned individuals and organizations to make the best use of the buffalo wandering out of Yellowstone. As a result of these efforts, buffalo meat, hides and heads have been distributed to native nations, food banks, senior centers, prisons, shelters, school districts and individuals across the nation. Over 2000 families have benefited from the distribution of buffalo meat. In order to further their efforts on behalf of the Yellowstone buffalo, "One People, One Nation" is holding a major Art Show and Sale at The Lagoon Art Gallery in Livingston, Montana, just north of Yellowstone Park. Entitled "Tribute to the American Buffalo," the show, featuring works of art from over 250 artists nationwide, will be in Livingston from now through the spring. The show will be traveling to the White Buffalo Gallery in Bethesda, Maryland in the spring, and has an invitation to the World Expo in Portugal in the summer. On Friday, October 24, The Lagoon and the Livingston Chamber of Commerce will be holding a welcome party for the "Tribute to the Yellowstone Buffalo" art show. The welcome party will take place at The Lagoon from 5-9 PM. Buffalo BBQ and beverages will be provided. The mass slaughtering of Yellowstone buffalo during the past winter was a tragedy, but the efforts of groups like "One People, One Nation" are a positive response to a most unfortunate situation. "One Nation, One People" can be contacted by writing to "One Nation, One People, c/o The Lagoon, 431 S. 3rd Street, Livingston, MT 59047. |
By BRUCE GOURLEY YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- In recent years, Yellowstone has unwittingly found itself in the center of conspiracy theories coming from some right-wing extremists. During the 90s, extremist groups in the United States espousing various conspiracy theories have flourished, and have, at times, exercised considerable influence upon many of the conservative members of Congress. The conspiracy theories seem to find their roots in Yellowstone being designated by the United Nations as a "World Heritage Site." Indeed, many conspiracy theories being propagated today have a common theme of the United Nations capturing and controlling the United States. Interestingly enough, it was the United States which proposed the "World Heritage Site" program in 1973, with the approval of Congress. In recent years, however, conspiracy theorists have declared that the program is a plot by the United Nations to take over large areas of the Western United states using U.N. troops in black helicopters. Conspiracists have been alarmed that Yellowstone is a "World Heritage Site," and insist that the U.N. is about to take control of the Park. One common rumor circulated in recent months has been that the U.N. will take possession of Yellowstone and close it to the public for 20 years. U.S. News Magazine recently noted that President Clinton's "American Heritage Rivers" initiative, announced in February, and of which the Yellowstone River was included, has added fuel to the conspiracists' fires. Despite the fact that participation in the "American Heritage Rivers" program to protect America's watersheds is voluntary, requires no new legislation, no new federal monies and makes no new regulatory demands upon property owners, conspiracists see a sinister side to the proposal. This act, coupled with the "World Heritage Program" (and particularly, the similarity in names of the two programs) and Clinton's creation of a 1.7 million acre park in Utah last year led conspiracists to contend that American environmentalists and the U.N. are planning on planning on taking over America's national parks and wilderness areas. In fact, this fear led a conservative-controlled House to vote on October 8 to restrict or end participation in the World Heritage Sites and U.N. Biosphere Reserves programs. Yellowstone National Park, by being a World Heritage Site, and because of the Yellowstone River (albeit outside the Park) being included in the American Heritage Rivers program, is at the center of much of the controversy. Furthermore, the recent proposal by the National Park Service to close the winter road from Canyon to Lake (as part of a study of bison migration) may well have contributed further to the conspiratist paranoia over the future of Yellowstone. The bison slaughter last winter demonstrated quite clearly that things are not perfect in this wonderland we call Yellowstone, but nonetheless, the conspiracy theories of which Yellowstone is caught up in are both unfounded and are serving to needlessly tarnish the image of the Grand Old Park.
|
||
