Food Holidays: November 2021

It’s November 1st I would like to welcome you to our series sharing Food Holidays: November 1st, 2021. A brand new month full of new possibilities and dreams. New adventures in Homeschooling and life. Come and join Charlie and I as we study Food Holidays: November 2021. Remember you can use these list in Homeschooling. Like Charlie and I do in our Homeschool Cooking Class.

National Bison Day

You see Bison everywhere — on coins, as Sports Team logos, and a couple of State Flags. No, we’re not the Bald Eagle. This honor is reserved for North American Bison. On National Bison Day, November 6, an annual event that falls on the first Saturday in November, all Americans should reflect on the impact Bison have as a part of our Environmental and Cultural Heritage. Bison are revered by Native American people — central to their survival as food and Spiritual Inspiration.

Five Facts about Bison:

1. Bison (are also called Buffalo) they are large, even-toed ungulates in the genus Bison within the subfamily Bovinae and there are two extant and four extinct species recognized.
2. The American Bison and the European Wisent are the largest terrestrial animals in North America and Europe.
3. A Bison’s hump is composed of muscle, supported by long vertebrae. The hump allows the Animal to use its head to plow through Snow.
4. Fossils and accounts from early travelers show that Yellowstone National Park is the only place in the U.S. where Bison have lived continuously since Prehistoric times.
5. The Yellowstone Herd is one of the few that remains genetically free of Cattle genes.

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL BISON DAY

1. Stand in support of returning Wild Bison to their original tribal lands on thousands of acres of Native American reservations. Collaborations among certain groups are working to remind Americans about the important role Bison play in the lives of native people. Bison are considered sacred and even featured in certain tribal creation stories. Bison have also been a source of food and clothing. Bison provide hides for tents, robes, shoes, and tools so people can survive in harsh climates.
2. You may not be able to get to a large National Park like Yellowstone. But there are a vast number of smaller parks from which to choose from. Imagine what it must have been like to see thousands of Bison freely roaming the Plains. We should give our children a chance to experience the wonder of our latest national icon — Bison.
3. Many groups use this Holiday to raise funds in support of Bison. Look for a T Shirt which won’t be hard to find showing your love of Bison. Wear the T Shirt proudly because it’s for a patriotic cause.

5 REASONS PEOPLE LOVE BISON

1. ​Watch that tail​If when a Bison’s tail is hanging down moving naturally from side to side, this Bison is relaxed. When the tail stands straight up, it’s a signal this Bison is getting ready to charge.
2. ​Given their size as the largest Mammals in North America, Bison are surprisingly agile with an ability to swim well, Bison can jump up to six feet, and run between 35 and 40 mph.
3. ​Bison have always roamed in Yellowstone National Park as evidenced by prehistoric Fossils found in modern times.
4. Did you know ​herds of Bison can be found in all 50 States.
5. The American Bison is not only the Country’s official Mammal; the Bison is also the State Mammal of Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

WHY NATIONAL BISON DAY IS IMPORTANT

1. President Obama, with the support of a coalition of Native American tribes, Wildlife Support Groups, and concerned members of the Senate, signed a 2015 law making the majestic bison our national mammal. This law helps to protect bison from extinction and encourages a return back to their native tribal lands.
2. We know you have been wondering about this so we’re going to set you straight. Did you know Bison and Buffalo are not the same. Bison are native to North and South America and Europe, while the traditional home of the Buffalo is in Africa and Asia. At the height of their magnificence. Did you know there were between 30 and 60 million Bison in the New World Circa the 16th Century. There are currently half a million Bison roaming happily across North America. .
3. Native people once lived their lives around the herds of Bison that swirled around areas of West and Northwest, the Central Plains, and the Southeastern U.S. Once pioneers started their Westward trek, both the Native American tribes and Bison Herds were seen as obstacles to progress. As Native peoples were systematically forced off their lands by either Poachers or fake Government Treaties, Bison Herds began to disappear; by the early part of last Century, Bison were on the way to extinction. Today, through the collective efforts of Indian tribes, Wildlife Associations, the National Park system and others, Bison have re-emerged as a Protected Species.

National Pâté Day*– This is a Holiday we couldn’t find information for. If you do please share it with us. Charlie would like to learn more about Pate for his Homeschool Cooking Class.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates