By Bastien MacLean, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kamsack Times For The Key First Nation, their bison herd is about food security, culture and economic development. The herd numbers close to 180, with an average of 30 new calves each year. The herd has grown from its original 60 in the winter of 2022. Twenty of the herd were acquired from the Old Man On His Back conservation area in southern Saskatchewan. Another 20 were acquired from near Swift Current and the rest from Elk Island. Former Chief Clinton Key, who was instrumental in bringing the buffalo to The Key, estimates that roughly 15 buffalo could be harvested each year without hurting the herd as a whole. In May the Nation harvested four buffalo and gave out more than 1,500 pounds… <\/p>\n
By Bastien MacLean, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kamsack Times For The Key First Nation, their bison herd is about food security, culture and economic development. The herd numbers close to 180, with an average of 30 new calves each year. The herd has grown from its original 60 in the winter of 2022. Twenty of the herd were acquired from the Old Man On His Back conservation area in southern Saskatchewan. Another 20 were acquired from near Swift Current and the rest from Elk Island. Former Chief Clinton Key, who was instrumental in bringing the buffalo to The Key, estimates that roughly 15 buffalo could be harvested each year without hurting the herd as a whole. In May the Nation harvested four buffalo and gave out more than 1,500 pounds... <\/p>\n