Big Medicine, an exceedingly rare white bison born in 1933 on what was then the National Bison Range, will be returned to his home in the next few years. The animal, who died in 1959, was considered sacred by members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and other indigenous people, and revered for his healing and protective powers. His mount has been on display at the Montana Historical Society in Helena since 1961.

Last spring, after the Bison Range was returned to tribal ownership, CSKT formally asked that Big Medicine be repatriated to his reservation home. Last Thursday, historical society trustees voted unanimously to honor that request.

“Big Medicine represents the past that has carried forward to the present and the work yet to be done to protect our identity, culture, and well-being into the future,” CSKT Tribal Chairman Tom McDonald had written in his repatriation request.

“We will treat this animal with the respect it deserves,” he said last Thursday in an emotional response to the trustees’ vote. “Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.”

Tribal elder Stephen Small Salmon was among the dignitaries on hand for the occasion, and smudged Big Medicine during a ceremony after the trustees’ decision was announced.

Former Montana Historical Society Director K. Ross Toole had contacted the bison range superintendent in 1953, requesting that Big Medicine’s hide be transferred to the society upon the animal’s death. The mount has been on display since 1961 in a climate-controlled environment, and is frequently visited by Native people, who have held sacred ceremonies there.

During his life, the massive bison was fed a special diet, and stood six feet at his hump, was 12 feet long from nose to tail, and weighed 1,900 pounds.

“It isn’t just about the history,” said CSKT Executive Officer Rick Eneas of Big Medicine’s return.

“We as a people are at a crossroads and have gone through some significant challenges and lost a lot, but are creating a lot in the valley for the young tribal members who don’t have a connection,” he said. “A symbol like this allows us to feel proud of who we are and will help us understand who we can be in the future.”

Historical Society Director Molly Kruckenberg said the society will retain physical possession of Big Medicine until the Tribes have a safe environment in which he can be displayed, which is expected to take about two years. She added that the decision to return Big Medicine was made on a “government-to-government basis,” and reflects the society’s commitment to seeking advice and information from Montana’s tribes.