Dennis O’Neal
Dennis O’Neal, Wind River Tribal Buffalo Vice President & Northern Arapaho Tribe Buffalo Manager
“I’m grateful to be working for Buffalo restoration. I would like to see more land for the Buffalo to be on.”
Dennis is the Director of Traditional Resources of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, Buffalo Manager of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, and enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe (Sho-Rap).
A lifetime resident of Wind River Indian Reservation, Dennis’s parents are from Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes, thus his Sho-Rap status.
Dennis began working with Jason Baldes when the Eastern Shoshone herd began in 2016. As a Tribal Game Warden for three years, Dennis came to the Initiative with experience protecting, preserving and managing wildlife. Together, they started the Northern Arapaho Buffalo herd in 2018 with the first 10 Buffalo.
“It’s been six years to get to 95 buffalo. We had 13 calves this year. We have two other employees who help, too. That’s growth.”
– Dennis O’Neal
Dennis’ duties as Buffalo Program Manager include checking fencing and perimeters, making sure water sources are available for animals, and ensuring the general health of the herd. He now has two employees who help supervise the Buffalo, which roam on thousands of mountainous acres.
Dennis also assists with community education and events, including harvests for elders and fundraising.
During COVID, a local senior class was unable to fundraise for their class trip and asked for a Buffalo. Students and sponsors joined the ceremony, which helped raise money while igniting a re-connection with Buffalo and their role in the Tribe’s culture, health, and history.
“If the council wants meat for the seniors, we’ll harvest one. On Veterans Day, we had a couple of Veterans involved, too. They were more than happy to participate and join the ceremony.”
– Dennis O’Neal
Living in a cabin bordering the Buffalo range on 1,000 acres, Dennis lives his role every day. As Vice President of the Initiative, he occasionally gets pulled away from the herd for business and financial matters. When that happens, he’s able to be hands-on with feedback from the Board and implement changes and improvements on the range right away.
As if he wasn’t busy enough, he also participates in the local Senior Wood Program, which provides fuel for heating the homes of over 60 seniors during the winter months.
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