Nokota horses are making a scene in the North Dakota state legislature as the Nokota Horse Conservancy pushes for funding. In Senate Bill #2272, the NHC is asking for up to $50,000 to help develop a Nokota horse sanctuary and living history museum.
“Nokotas are a genetically historical breed and there are so few of them left,” says Frank Kuntz, NHC executive vice president. “They need exposure and they need to be preserved so more people can learn about them.
If funding is approved, the Nokota horse sanctuary and living history museum is expected to have tourism and community advantages as well.
“You’d be able to take groups into the pastures and explain the social structure of the herd. People could use the horses as a tool to help broaden their horizons,” Kuntz says.
While the project awaits funding, a location and completion date have yet to be determined. The first committee hearing, held Jan. 26, left anticipation high.
“I think it has a 50-50 chance, Kuntz says. “If it comes out of this committee it goes into the appropriations committee, and that could be a little harder to sell.”
For more information visit www.nokotahorse.org
I think it’s critical to fund the preservation of this important historic horse while it is still possible. There needs to be enough money to buy land, set up a trust and operate as well as to continue to fund them into the future. It’s a minimal expense considering what it costs to keep monunments made of brick and mortar, these are living history and we have a rare opportunity to hold on to this American treasure, one of few that are a combination of the early settler’s and Native Americans.
I should have added the correct web address for the Nokota Horse Conservancy is http://www.nokotahorse.org and it’s incorrect at the bottom of the page. I don’t want anyone to miss being able to visit the web site.