ABSTRACT
The rise of casinos coupled with the expansion of tribal colleges and government programs to encourage cultural conservation have sparked widespread public discussion about the future of folklife among Great Plains tribes. Efforts at economic development are often linked to cultural and environmental traditions of the Plains. An example is the Winnebago Bison Project to reintroduce bison, once a mainstay of the Plains, to the northeastern corner of Nebraska. The Winnebago Nation is one of forty-five tribes that have joined the Intertribal Bison Cooperative, established in 1990 to assist the efforts. In the twentyfirst century, the herd has been estimated to number more than 150,000, used for meat and hides. As a symbol of traditional culture, the bison are rekindling interest in traditional Native American identity on the Plains.
