From five calves to a thundering legacy

CUSTER – The sun had barely crested the horizon on September 26, 2025, when the hills of Custer State Park began to stir. A crisp autumn breeze swept through the ponderosa pines, carrying with it the scent of sage and anticipation. By 6:15 a.m., thousands of spectators had already gathered at the viewing areas, bundled in blankets and sipping hot coffee, their eyes fixed on the rolling prairie.

At 9:30 a.m., the silence broke.

From the ridgeline came the first rumble—hoofbeats, distant but unmistakable. Then, like a wave crashing through golden grass, the herd appeared: nearly 1,450 American bison, their massive frames galloping in unison, nostrils flaring, muscles rippling. Riders on horseback flanked them, a mix of seasoned wranglers and lucky volunteers chosen to participate in this year’s roundup. Dust rose in plumes, sunlight catching the haze like a curtain on a stage.

Among the riders was 17-year-old Dakota Jensen, a local rancher’s daughter riding in her first roundup. “It was like riding through history,” she said afterward, her cheeks flushed with exhilaration. “You feel the power of the land, the animals, and the people who’ve done this for generations.”

A Legacy Born of Rescue

That history stretches back to the 1880s, when the American bison teetered on the edge of extinction. Amid this crisis, a fur trader named Frederick Dupris—rescued five bison calves from a hunt along the Grand River in South Dakota. He raised them on his ranch, creating one of the few surviving private herds in the country.

After Dupris’s death, his son Fred continued the work, and in 1899, Scotty Philip, a rancher and state senator, purchased the herd—then numbering 74—from Dupris’s family. Philip expanded the herd near Fort Pierre, and by 1911, it had grown to nearly 1,000 head.

In 1914, just two years after Custer State Park was established, bison from Philip’s herd were introduced to the park. These animals became the foundation of the park’s now-famous herd, which today numbers around 1,300–1,450 and is one of the largest publicly managed bison herds in the world.

Conservation in Motion

The Buffalo Roundup is more than spectacle—it’s stewardship. Park staff and volunteers drive the herd into corrals to assess health, brand and vaccinate calves, and prepare select animals for auction. This ensures the herd remains healthy and sustainable, while honoring the legacy of the American West and the resilience of a species once nearly lost.

Celebration and Community

Back at the Arts Festival, held September 25–27, the celebration continued. Vendors sold handcrafted goods, Native American dancers performed beneath fluttering flags, and the scent of fry bread and kettle corn filled the air. Children tried their hands at roping dummies while elders swapped stories of roundups past.

As the sun dipped behind the Black Hills, the park settled into quiet once more. But for those who witnessed it, the 2025 Buffalo Roundup was more than an event—it was a living testament to the untamed spirit of the West, and to the enduring legacy of five calves rescued over a century ago.

(Contact Ernestine Anunkasan Hopa at editor@nativesunnews. today)

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