Perceptions of Large Carnivores on the Wind River Reservation
Rebecca Watters
(Note: Rebecca was an intern in the summer of 2006, and is now the project manager at NRCC. She is currently spearheading an effort to research wolverine & pica in Mongolia).
One day last summer, as I sat in an artist’s studio on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, a prominent member of the Shoshone tribe asked me about my ancestry. I noted my mixed European background and mentioned that some of my ancestors had been kidnapped from Massachusetts by the Mohawk in 1703, taken to Canada, and adopted into the tribe.
“Hm,” said the prominent member of the Shoshone, “that explains why you’re so interested in wolves.”
I pointed out that this tenuous bloodline could not be solely responsible for my interest in wolves and bears. But the two men were insistent, if joking, that this scrap of Mohawk heritage had served as an inspiration to pack up, head west, and investigate the Wind River Reservation’s role in the future of large carnivore management in Wyoming. It was clear that in their opinion, a respect for wolves and bears was the prerogative of native peoples, who had always done a much better job of managing carnivores than white colonizers.
The Shoshone and Arapaho tribes that live on the Wind River Reservation are sovereign nations and have the right to self-manage wildlife on the reservation in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The tribes are not required to follow state management plans or to consult the Wyoming Game and Fish Department about management plans. The tribes and USFWS have a Memorandum of Understanding regarding wolf management plans, but no such cooperation exists between the tribes and the state of Wyoming. As wolves and grizzlies begin to re-colonize the Reservation after a 60 year absence, the attitudes of Shoshone and Arapaho, as well as the way in which the Reservation will manage the large carnivores, is an important issue that may influence large carnivore restoration.
The Wind River Reservation, home to the Shoshone and Arapaho tribes, has independent tribal governments, as well as a joint government to make decisions that affect both tribes. A Tribal Fish and Game office works in conjunction with USFWS and federal biologists. Management plans proposed jointly by USFWS and Tribal Fish and Game are brought before the tribal government for approval. All enrolled tribal members over the age of 18 are eligible to vote on management plans and thus on the future of wolves and grizzlies on the Reservation.
To try to understand how tribal members view carnivores on the reservation, I interviewed individuals who might be important to the decision-making process. Through casual conversation with store clerks, teenagers in parking lots, and people filling up their cars at the Ft. Washakie gas station, I gleaned a general idea of people’s perceptions of wolves and grizzlies on the Reservation. I spoke primarily to Shoshone, although there were a few Arapaho, Navajo, Gros Ventre and white residents of the Reservation included in the interviews and discussions.
Although three months is too short a time to conduct a comprehensive study within a diverse population, my basic research suggests that the Shoshone and Arapaho have a somewhat more tolerant view of wolves and grizzly bears than the general population of Wyoming. Wolves and grizzlies are considered by some traditionalists to be ‘brothers and teachers,’ though tribal members who are hunters or ranchers may not share these views. Hunting is an important tradition on the reservation. Well aware of the dangers posed by grizzly bears, hunters may not be eager to see the population increase.
The reservation experienced its first wolf depredation in 2006 and the reaction of ranchers on the reservation was similar to that of ranchers in other parts of Wyoming: “Remove the wolves.” As wolves and grizzlies continue to repopulate the reservation, attitudes will become more defined. I hope to continue research to elucidate those attitudes more clearly, as well as the decision-making process with regard to large carnivores on the reservation.
More importantly, however, I hope that my work will be of benefit to the reservation, as I continue to research carnivore issues and work on the many social and environmental justice issues that tribal members see as a priority.