Montana bison : controversy in Yellowstone National Park

Bison in Yellowstone National Park are currently facing extermination at the hands of state and federal agencies. This thesis examines the political and social reasons behind the bison slaughter. The protocol that is used for justification of the slaughter is also examined. Furthermore, this thesis looks through the theoretical lens of deep ecology in order to use an ecocentric approach for analyzing the experiences of the bison. Additionally, ecosocialism is presented as the definitive solution to the problems the bison are facing. Capitalist thought places primary importance on monetary gain and preferences rational means as the process to achieve this goal. The cattle industry is profitable to the Montana and Federal government and is therefore given priority over indigenous animal habitat. Moreover, bison are particularly disfavored by government agencies based on historical racism against indigenous peoples and their relationship with the bison. The combination of capitalist economic practices and imperialistic-provoked genocide places the Montana bison at the forefront of government extermination policies. This thesis analyzes the multiple positions and viewpoints surrounding the bison controversy through an ecosocialist perspective and creates a framework that allows for new strategies to prevent the extermination of the Yellowstone bison. The deep ecology theoretical context provides the foundation for data collection and analysis. Research was conducted by dissecting printed text publicly published by agencies and activist groups involved with the bison controversies. These included documents posted on official websites, amendments and bills, and oral statements transcribed into printed documents. Following this, all text was qualitatively analyzed for the purpose of strategizing new methods to end the bison genocide and intercommunity conflict.