My name is Montoya Whiteman. I am an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. I moved to Colorado in 2007, returning to the ancestral homelands of my people who were forced out after the tragedy of Sand Creek. I am a descendant of Vister and White Buffalo Woman, who were in Black Kettle's clan.

Today, I live in Brighton with my rescue pup, Tazi. In my free time, I volunteer at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA). I love the RMA. I volunteer because I love the wildlife. I enjoy meeting people and educating visitors and staff of Colorado and tribal histories. I am deeply connected to this land as a Cheyenne and Arapaho woman.

In 2020, I was driving the RMA and came upon a traffic jam after Mile Marker 3. The bison herd were crossing the road and causing major road block. I was among the crowd of cars and people who were observing the bison as they were going about their day. As I was driving away, I looked to my left and I saw this image. I stopped - backed-up - and voila! I caught this image of three bull bison grazing in close proximity to each other. The European Starling also happened to be riding on the back of one of the bison. Symbiosis. I've never seen anything like it! I will probably never see this again. Enjoy 3+1!

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ARSENAL, NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, COLORADO

Photo Credit: Montoya Whiteman

My name is Montoya Whiteman. I am an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. I moved to Colorado in 2007, returning to the ancestral homelands of my people who were forced out after the tragedy of Sand Creek. I am a descendant of Vister and White Buffalo Woman, who were in Black Kettle's clan.

Today, I live in Brighton with my rescue pup, Tazi. In my free time, I volunteer at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA). I love the RMA. I volunteer because I love the wildlife. I enjoy meeting people and educating visitors and staff of Colorado and Tribal histories. I am deeply connected to this land as a Cheyenne and Arapaho woman.

In 2020, I was driving the RMA on a quiet day. Somedays I spend hours at the RMA because there is abundant beauty, and plenty of birds and animals to see. I passed First Creek when I saw to my left a red tail hawk (Hawk #1) fly to a low tree with a vole in its claws. I observed the hawk as it ate the vole. Wild kingdom. A few yards off to the west, a different red-tailed hawk landed in a tree. Hawk #1 saw Hawk #2 - finished the vole and flew to the tree to meet Hawk #2. Let the fireworks begin! For a few minutes they stared down each other with some squawking and head bobbing from where they sat in high and low branches. Hawk #1 flew closer to Hawk #2. There was more staring down then Hawk #1 stretched out its wing in a display of strength and intimidation. Hawk #2 got really mad and stretched out its head almost head-butting Hawk #1. They both couldn't take each other any longer and the sparring ensued with talons out and wings flapping. One hawk landed on the ground and the other on a high tree branch. I don't know who won that hawk fight, but I sure won! It was a thrill witnessing these beautiful raptors "duke it out"!

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ARSENAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, COLORADO

Photo Credit: Montoya Whiteman