Bio week 7

I think the reintroduction of the American Bison is important for several reasons. Firstly, it is helping to restore an important part of the ecosystem. Like the prairie dogs and rain, we have very little concept of how each creature in the environment affects the whole. The bison, being the largest mammal in the west, have a dynamic and important impact on the ecosystem. Secondly, the bison were an important and spiritual symbol to the Native Americans. White men killed them off partially to reduce their food supply. The bison was much more important than purely a source of food though, and was thought of a sacred animal. For a long time, white people have disrespected Native American culture and land. The reintroduction of Bison is hopefully being done in a way that honors and respects the sacred place this animal held in Native American culture. Thirdly, because this reintroduction has been relatively successful, it gives hope about restoring other ecosystems. When people have hope, they are far more likely to get invested and involved. If the only stories people hear are about failures to restore ecosystems, there is a sense of "there's nothing we can do." But success begets success, so we should continue championing this effort. However, I don't think this should be prioritized over other ecosystem restorations. They are all equally valid and important.
I don't know if we will ever be able to reset things they way that they were. But I think balance is sort of like a threshold. Once you get to a certain level, nature takes over and creates it's own new balance. This is true of the human body too. Once enough healing is done, the body can take over and do the rest.