It’s coming up! Buffalo Day is November 4, 2023—Always the first Saturday in November. Get your family ready to celebrate! Remember, in the US and Canada we use the terms Bison and Buffalo interchangeably. And that’s OK. Either fits!! Some would have us use only the scientific name, Bison. But just think how many cities and towns, counties, creeks, rivers and majestic buttes across this North American continent are named for Buffalo! Would the so-called “experts” have us change them all? Impossible, of course. And how petty to be so limited in our vision! We’ve been using that term since 1616 when the French explorer, Samuel de Champlain, used it to describe the animal. A few years later, in 1625, Buffalo first appeared in the English language in North America, from the French word, boeuf, a Greek word given to Buffalo by French fur trappers here. Not until 1774—a century and a half later—was Bison first recorded to refer to these mammals in a scientific sense. So are we OK with...

The Buffalo Treaty is an agreement of cooperation, renewal and restoration of the ways that Native Americans envision the past and future with buffalo. It is designed by Native American tribes to help create a national agenda that will return bison back to the land and allow them to roam freely between the United States and Canada. The treaty originated when, following the advice of Elders, Blackfoot professors Leroy Little Bear and Amethyst First Rider of the University of Lethbridge envisioned a Buffalo Treaty and began to generate interest among the leaders of the InterTribal Buffalo Council. Little Bear and First Rider organized a network of non-governmental organizations, corporations and others of the business and commercial community, to form partnerships with the signatories to bring about the manifestation of the intent of this treaty. It took 10 years as a grassroots effort, designing the document, determining what to include and coordinating the network. Then history was...

We’re excited that you chose to become a member of the Howdy! 4-H Bison project.  We hope you have a great time this year making new friends, taking part in 4-H activities, and learning more about Bison—also known as Buffalo—and their agricultural value!To complete your Project year in 4-H Bison: Complete 4 to 6 of the units of this manual material per club year Take part in at least 70% of club activities Do a communication project Complete a record book Take part in your achievement day Have a lot of FUN!!! About the Bison project materialCongratulations! You have made the decision to do the Alberta 4-H Bison project. We hope that you find the information in these manuals to be educational and fun! Prepare yourself to learn about the colorful past and inspiring future of bison. Today’s bison industry is relatively new despite the long history in North America. Because this industry is going through rapid evolution, information may change as more research is developed. We encourage...

What does 4-H stand for? Head, Heart, Hands and Health! Today nearly six million children and teens are learning important values through the 4-H program. But how did 4-H find its humble beginnings? The 4-H program began in the late 1800s when researchers learned adults in the farming industry did not readily accept new developments but also learned young people would accept those new ideas, according to the 4-H.org history page. In 1902 A. B. Graham started the first youth program in Clark County, Ohio, called “The Tomato Club” or the “Corn Growing Club.” It seems others had the same idea about the same time, as T. A. Erickson, Douglas County, Minnesota started an agricultural after-school club. Jessie Field Shambaugh developed a clover pin with the 4-H on each leaf in 1910. By 1912 they were called 4-H clubs. 1914 saw the Smith-Lever Act passed, which helped the US Department of Agriculture create the Cooperative Extension System. Extension offices combined the knowledge and...