Herd Of Cherokee Nation Bison Arrives In Delaware County

A herd of 30 bison from South Dakota arrived in Delaware County early Thursday. 

About 65 miles northeast of Tulsa in Delaware County, you'll find Kenwood; it's the home where the new Cherokee buffalo will roam.

As the sun came up on Delaware County Thursday morning, a special delivery arrived by tractor-trailer from a national park in South Dakota.

Its cargo had been absent from the tribe for four decades.

"The buffalo have returned to Cherokee Nation land. God Bless each and every one of ya," said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief, Bill John Baker.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker along with other tribal officials are on hand for the unloading.

They will initially graze on 250 acres, with about a thousand total acres available should the herd grow.

The Cherokee's director of natural resources, GV Gulager, said this is the best day he's had since working for the tribe.

"It's going to bring back heritage, it's going bring back tourism. It's going to bring back the symbolic nature of the Native American and the buffalo and how they're entwined together,” he said.

Another ten bison will be delivered to the tribe later this month from the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

The Cherokees are also in the running to get a small herd from Yellowstone.

10/7/2014 Related Story: Cherokee Nation To Get South Dakota Bison This Week