Of Bison and Man

From the days when approximately sixty million bison ranged over most of the continental U.S. and into Canada and Mexico, to its near extinction due to mindless slaughter during the westward expansion of the mid- and late-nineteenth century, the American bison remains both a national symbol of strength and freedom, and of shame and exploitation.

Today the American bison once again is in the center of controversy over its role in our economy, its range, and its very right to exist in the wild.

In Of Bison and Man, Harold Danz, longtime National Park Service employee and former executive director of the American Bison Association, gives a clear, informative, and highly entertaining overview of this magnificent animal. Danz explores the bison's prehistory and natural history, its complex relationship with Native Americans, the bison slaughter and recovery, the establishment of the bison as an industry, and the role bison play today, both as a food source and as a wild animal.

Of Bison and Man will appeal to readers interested in our complex relationship with the bison as well as those wanting to know more about our natural history and resource management policies.