The grand arc of history can be quite satisfying when it results in a just compensation for a wrong done decades or even centuries before.

Such is the satisfaction that must necessarily come from hearing the news that Alberta’s Elk Island National Park is sending a shipment of 89 bison to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation this month.

The Canadian bison herd actually originated with animals from Montana that were sent north more than 100 years ago. Turns out that the bison had originated from a herd on the Great Plains in Blackfeet country, but had then wound up in the hands of Charles Allard and Michael Pablo on the Flathead Reservation. Eventually most of the herd was sold to the Canadian government and shipped by train from Ravalli to Elk Island.

The Canadian bison have maintained their genetic purity, which makes their return particularly significant. Most domestic bison show some genetic evidence of cross-breeding with cattle.

The bison was once the thundering herd of the Great Plains, and while that day may never return, it is fitting that a fragment of Indian and frontier history is restored to its original glory.

Bigfork’s big idea could save lives

Bigfork is a community that is continuously striving to make life better for its residents, whether it’s successfully advocating for a new green-box waste disposal site or the many improvements made possible by the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork. The Bigfork folks are at it again, this time with an effort to create a map where defibrillators are located throughout the town. A defibrillator is used to shock a heart in cardiac arrest to re-establish its normal rhythms.

So far, 19 businesses and organizations have reported they have defibrillators. That information will be included in the Bigfork Chamber’s guide materials and window stickers also may be posted of where the devices are located. Civic leaders are also considering providing training on how to use defibrillators.

This project is a great example of a big-hearted community going the extra mile to protect both its residents and visitors in case of an emergency.