They are large, up to three-metres long, and weighing in at as much as 1,000 kilograms.

They are sometimes ill-tempered, and hard to handle.

Still, the bison is perhaps the most iconic animal to ever have roamed the North American plains, and the majestic beast is an important part of the future for Wanuskewin Heritage Park near Saskatoon.

"Wanuskewin is the Cree word for 'harmony,'" said Brady Highway, the park's land and resource manager, in an interview with CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning.

Returning bison to traditional territory at Wanuskewin Heritage Park is a key part of finding harmony on the land, and so the park has now placed a want ad, looking for someone to manage its herd.

Finding someone to manage a herd of enormous, cantankerous animals roaming a tract of land on the outskirts of a city and near a popular tourist destination may seem like a daunting task.

In reality, it's one of the easiest parts of the project, Highway said.

"People have been doing this kind of work for thousands of years."

Wanuskewin's Brady Highway says the bison project is about ensuring the future by sowing seeds of tradition. (CBC)

From Highway's perspective, the real challenge is preparing the environment — keeping in mind that the project is all about harmony. So while immediate tasks like setting aside land (95 hectares in this case), setting up fences and pens, and buying feed might seem obvious, Wanuskewin is looking at the project holistically.

"We have to restore a number of facets on that site including … grasslands, and the use of language, and the use of Indigenous world views."

For Wanuskewin, this project is about ensuring the future by sowing seeds of tradition.

"There are a number of things we need to line up, and obviously finding the right person to manage this herd is an important piece," said Highway.

"We're also talking about cultural burning practices and all those old land-use practices that were done for centuries."

Finding the right fit

Highway is confident that Wanuskewin will be able to find an Indigenous person with all the experience, and cultural knowledge to manage a herd of bison, suggesting that "there's a lot of people from … Blackfeet country, and people who've been doing this for a long time."

If all goes as planned, Highway said that there could be a half-dozen bison living in pens in Wanuskewin by next winter, with as many as 50 head eventually calling the park home.

"I think that they're going to be just fine," Highway said.

Wanuskewin Heritage Park near Saskatoon has posted an ad to find someone to manage its herd of bison. (Facebook)

But it's not just park officials who will have to learn and adapt to make the Wanuskewin project work — the bison too will have to get used to their new surroundings.

"They're going to have to get used to the fact that it's a busy park, and you know what? It will take a lot of effort to make sure that our visitors are respectful of their space as well too," said Highway.