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Heritage
Doug Bison sculpts in the quiet of his home studio near Washington State's Puget Sound. His home, with a territorial view of Griffin Bay, is located on the shortest route between the Bay and the Haro Straits; the pathway connects one side of this Northwest Island to the other. For generations the Lummi and Coastal Salish Indians traversed the path because of its short distance between coastlines and their seasonal fishing grounds.
When working, Doug often reflects on an important part of his family's history, of a place long ago. It's a distant place - memories his grandfather locked away to be diluted by the passing of time, memories that Bison dug up as a young child after learning of his heritage.
The place is Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. On Dec. 29, 1890, some 370 Lakota Sioux were massacred by the U.S. 7th Cavalry.
The massacre at Wounded Knee was the last - and most tragic - confrontation between American Indians and U.S. troops. Bison's great-grandfather, the Minneconjou-Lakota chief SiTanka (Big Foot), was among the first killed.
Big Foot's frozen corpse, half raised as though trying to warn his people of their imminent disaster, lay untouched for three days until it was unceremoniously dumped into a mass grave. George Trager's picture of Big Foot's corpse has long symbolized the tragedy of Wounded Knee.
Little Bison - a son of Big Foot and Doug Bison's grandfather – survived. He was in his early to mid-twenties the winter of 1890 and fled during the battle into Nebraska. A white rancher took him in and he worked for a number of years on his cattle ranches from Nebraska to Texas. The benevolent farmer and friend later sent him to a language school on the East Coast. It was there Little Bison met his future wife, a Scottish immigrant.
What Bison learned about his heritage molded him into the artist he is today. Doug began sculpting in 1980. He studied the history of the Minneconjou-Lakota and the tragedy of Wounded Knee. He studied animal form, particularly the big game of North America. What he learned spurred an attention to authenticity and detail in depicting the American Indian people and the wildlife that was fundamental to their lives. Bison recreates this union between man and animal through the medium of bronze. "I want to perpetuate the indigenous people, the Native Americans," Bison said of his art. "They had an incredible history. If you can keep putting their life and culture in front of the public, in my case thru my art, they'll not be forgotten."
Doug's sculpture, honored with numerous awards, is now found in collections throughout the United States and Canada. Attention to authenticity and detail in depicting the Native American is evident in all of his work. Essentially self-taught, Doug Bison has exhibited across the U.S. His bronzes are a treasure for all collectors of Western and Wildlife Art. He also regularly accepts commission work. The artist's home and studio are located in Friday Harbor, within the beautiful San Juan Islands of Northwest Washington State.
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