28 <strong>Confederated</strong> <strong>Umatilla</strong> <strong>Journal</strong> March 2011
‘It exemplifies <strong>the</strong> fact that our people weren’t bound by imaginary lines that said we only went this far. We traveled to where <strong>the</strong> food was.’ Members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Jim Marsh hunting party included, from left, David Sams, Joe Ball, Cody Nowland (kneeling), Francis Marsh and Jim Marsh. Not pictured: Chuck Sams, Chauncey Sams and Dakota Sams. Eleven <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 12 people in <strong>the</strong> Aaron Ashley hunting party included, front row from left, Aiden Wolf, David Wold Jr., Joe Lewis, Devayne Lewis, Aaron Ashley and Richard Bronson and back row, Deven Barkley, Jeremy Wolf, Jeremy Barkley, Kyle McGuire and Robert Parrish. Continued from Page 27 So for <strong>the</strong> CTUIR guys, it was Jeremy Wolf <strong>the</strong> first day, Lewis and David Wolf <strong>the</strong> second day, and Ashley and Bronson on day three. “To me, it meant following in <strong>the</strong> footsteps <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> our Cayuse tribal members who used to travel to Montana and Wyoming to kill buffalo or trade for buffalo,” David Wolf said. “It exemplifies <strong>the</strong> fact that our people weren’t bound by imaginary lines that said we only went this far. We traveled to where <strong>the</strong> food was,” he said. On one <strong>of</strong> his hunts, David Wolf said, a pair from his party decided to go after some buffalo in a draw above <strong>the</strong>m. They moved <strong>the</strong> buffalo all right, right up <strong>the</strong> draw into deeper snow and thicker timber. Scheeler said hunters were realistically limited to taking animals that <strong>the</strong>y could a rope and drag “because <strong>the</strong> prospect <strong>of</strong> trying to pack out quarters that weighed 100 pounds or more in s<strong>of</strong>t snow was daunting to say <strong>the</strong> least.” He said, too, that <strong>the</strong>re was a lack <strong>of</strong> availability <strong>of</strong> buffalo for treaty harvest due to recent hazing and trapping efforts by <strong>the</strong> National Park Service. In fact, <strong>the</strong> Marsh crew saw only three bulls and all were harvested – two by Jim and Francis Marsh, and <strong>the</strong> third by a Nez Perce hunter. “Animals that leave <strong>the</strong> park or threaten to leave <strong>the</strong> park are hazed back into <strong>the</strong> park,” Scheeler. Still, Marsh said <strong>the</strong> hunt was worth it and he wants to go back. He said he was proud to be able to represent <strong>the</strong> CTUIR in exercising treaty rights. “Such a majestic animal, it used to be a staple diet. It was a long trip across Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana, a hell <strong>of</strong> a journey. Two-hundred years ago <strong>the</strong>re would be 30 warriors with tee-pees that killed buffalo with bows and arrows; now we have rifles, cars, ropes and motels. The warriors paved <strong>the</strong> way for us,” Marsh said. Scheeler said this contemporary buffalo hunt is akin to “hunting in a fish bowl,” an awkward sort <strong>of</strong> event because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nearby residences. “It felt like you were hunting in someone’s backyard,” he said. “It is a highly visible hunt, not <strong>the</strong> wilderness experience many hunters are accustomed to.” Said David Wolf, “I didn’t know what to expect. I have a friend in <strong>the</strong> Fish and Wildlife Service that made it sound like we’d go <strong>the</strong>re and pick out which buffalo we wanted from a huge corral. It wasn’t like that at all.” Free Fireworks Show at Wildhorse Saturday, March 26, 8 p.m. Happy 2nd Birthday Kannan Rowdy Wea<strong>the</strong>rs! We love you! March 2011 <strong>Confederated</strong> <strong>Umatilla</strong> <strong>Journal</strong> 29