Frequently Asked Questions: Pte (Bison) at the SMSC

In late 2023, the SMSC will welcome a small herd of less than 15 pte from the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate in South Dakota. The pte will not be available for public viewing until several months after their introduction to allow time for them to acclimate to their new environment.

The SMSC’s pteoptaye will live on 165 acres of tribal land southeast of the junction of County Road 83 and Eagle Creek Boulevard in Shakopee, north of the tribe’s existing Organics Recycling Facility. The pte will roam freely within an enclosure and graze native prairie plants.

An eight-foot fence will be installed around the entire perimeter; a four-foot pedestrian fence will be installed along a portion of Mystic Lake Drive South and Eagle Creek Boulevard; and a six-foot privacy fence will be installed to the east and south of Blakewood Drive. The area will also be monitored with security cameras.

The SMSC Land and Natural Resources Department is overseeing the planning process, including learning from other tribes and organizations that have successfully reintroduced pte. The SMSC is completing a safety plan and working with local municipalities and public safety agencies to ensure the safety of the herd and local residents.

Historically, the SMSC looked after and had a reciprocal relationship with the natural surroundings, including pte, which the Dakota people depended on for food, medicine and materials. When colonization occurred, the pte were violently removed from the area and nearly exterminated. Wetlands and prairies were once widespread in Scott County, and the SMSC has worked to restore both ecosystems on the reservation. The SMSC has restored more than 1,000 acres of prairie over the past 20 years; the pteoptaye will help maintain prairie health.

In our Dakota language, bison are pte [pronunciation] and a bison herd is a pteoptaye [pronunciation] . Other Dakota tribes may have different terms and pronunciations.

While this is currently under consideration, plans for a specific public viewing area or learning opportunities have not yet been developed.

The SMSC has consulted with tribes and organizations in Minnesota and beyond that have successfully reintroduced pte, including the Prairie Island Indian Community, Red Lake Band of Chippewa, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, The Snake River Farm, Belwin Conservancy, Cedar Creek Ecosystem Reserve, Minneopa State Park, Minnesota Zoo, Dakota County Spring Lake Park, and the InterTribal Buffalo Council.

The pte is the largest land mammal in North America. Males (bulls) weigh up to 2,000 pounds and females (cows) weigh about 1,000 pounds. In general, bison are docile but like many large animals, they can become aggressive if people get too close. Safety fences around the enclosure will ensure that pte and people maintain a safe distance.

There will be so much room for the pte to roam in their enclosure that their noises and odors should not be noticeable to the public.

The SMSC Land and Natural Resources Department will care for the pte. The SMSC hired a pteoptaye coordinator who will be dedicated to overseeing the herd. Both the pteoptaye and the fence/enclosure will be regularly monitored.

At the beginning, the SMSC’s pteoptaye will be all female. Once female pte are 2-3 years old, they may give birth to a single calf each spring. The SMSC plans to introduce a breeding male to the herd in the future. The planned enclosure could eventually accommodate up to 32 pte.

A handling facility will be constructed within the enclosure. The handling facility will be used for herd management and to care for the pte, serving as a place to provide health checks, weigh the pte, and eventually care for pte calves. No additional lighting is being added to the area.

The pte will stay in the same outdoor enclosure year-round. They do not need to be moved inside in the winter.

Once the herd grows, the SMSC plans to harvest a few pte annually through traditional methods for the Community to use for food and medicine. This will not happen for several years.

The SMSC may explore selling pte products in the future, but not for several years.

Here are several helpful resources about pte:

• American Prairie Bison FAQ

• Minnesota Bison Association

• National Bison Association

• National Parks Service Bison FAQ