Phoenix Bison Skull
The Inspiration: Did you know there is a very special bison herd on the Soapstone Prairie north of Fort Collins? This particular bull bison was a member Laramie Foothills Bison Conservation Herd created by the Colorado State University faculty member Dr. Jennifer Barfield and her team. Jennifer is a reproductive physiologist and has pioneered a method to create bison embryos from pure Yellowstone genetics, the closest genetic relations to the original herd of millions that once roamed the United States. Additionally, she has developed a process to “wash” the embryos rendering them free of brucellosis, an infectious agent that can be passed from bison to cattle causing them to spontaneously abort their calves. Brucellosis is this reason that bison who leave the protection of Yellowstone National Park are slaughtered in an effort to reduce the spread of this disease to cattle. This particular bison was one of the early bulls created through her work and was able to pass his genetics onto his offspring.
Dr. Barfield’s work has been successful in creating a herd that roams on the Soapstone Prairie north of Fort Collins on property that is a partnership between Larimer County, the city of Fort Collins and Colorado State University. The bison now breed on their own and have been prolific enough to have more animals than that particular land can support. Because of both their genetics and also their brucellosis free status they are very valuable to repopulate native herds. Thanks to Dr. Barfield’s strong relationship with the Intertribal Council, animals are gifted to native communities across America per the determination of the Council. Please visit this link to learn more.
The design of this piece draws inspiration from a bracelet gifted to the artist by her husband in 2014, purchased in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The bracelet features a Thunderbird or Phoenix, both of which hold deep significance and are connected to Native American folklore. The Thunderbird is a widespread mythical creature in Native American mythology in the US and Canada. A supernatural being, the thunderbird symbolizes the power and strength that protects humans from evil spirits. The Phoenix is a mythical creature symbolizing longevity and immortality. According to folklore the bird rises from the ashes after death creating itself anew. The Phoenix theme relates to Dr. Barfield’s work. This special herd has literally been created anew thanks to advanced reproductive technology and are the germinal stock to now help repopulate native herds.
The horn caps for this skull were missing. A local saddle maker in Fort Collins covered them with wildebeest hide because it was a close mimic the look of the natural horn caps. The saddle maker added the tassels, common in native leather clothing, at the horn tips.
The Impact: A portion of the sale of this piece of art will go directly to support the Laramie Foothills Bison Conservation Herd.