野牛在温泉边吃草, 黄石国家公园, 怀俄明州, 美国 Bison grazing at thermal hot springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (© Cheryl Ramalho/Getty Images)

野牛在温泉边吃草,  黄石国家公园, 怀俄明州, 美国 Bison grazing at thermal hot springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (© Cheryl Ramalho/Getty Images)

古老血脉的兽群 Herds of heritage

黄石公园的野牛

野牛体现了一种矛盾：巨大的力量与沉静的气质并存。这些体型庞大的动物体重可达2000磅，身高6英尺（约1.8米），成群结队地漫游在北美的草原和河谷。这张照片拍摄于怀俄明州的黄石国家公园，它们的数量曾达数千万头，但在19世纪几乎灭绝——这一灭绝事件重塑了生态系统，扰乱了人们的生活方式。

对于无数原住民来说，这些动物一直被尊崇为导师、供养者和精神上的亲人，它们的每一部分都被精心利用，被用作食物、衣物、工具和燃料。正因如此，部落社区带头努力恢复草原、湿地和森林栖息地，形成由母牛、争吵的公牛和好奇的幼牛领导的社会群体。

站在它们面前，感受古老、中断与复兴在一瞬间交汇。野牛的幸存提醒我们，遗产不仅被铭记，它还被传承，交织在崎岖的地貌和经久不衰的传统之中。

National Bison Day

The bison embodies a paradox: immense strength paired with quiet calm. Weighing up to 2,000 pounds and standing 6 feet tall, these giants roam North America's grasslands and river valleys in mobile herds. Photographed here in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, they once numbered in the tens of millions but were nearly eradicated in the 19th century—a loss that reshaped ecosystems and disrupted lifeways.

Today, on National Bison Day, observed each year in early November, we honor this iconic species' persistence and profound significance. It's only fitting that this celebration falls at the start of Native American Heritage Month: for countless Native Nations, these animals have been revered as teachers, providers, and spiritual relatives, with every part used thoughtfully for sustenance, clothing, tools, and fuel. That's why tribal communities lead efforts to help them reclaim prairie, wetland, and forest habitats, forming social herds led by matriarchs, sparring males, and curious calves.