Reclaim Buffalo Rock
Help us ask Presidio County and TxDOT to honor the original name of this landmark.
Cibolo, the Spanish word for buffalo, is a term that spans all possible dimensions of Presidio County's identity—”Cibolo Rock” is a place name that will honor the Indigenous peoples and the cibolo herds of La Junta.
Why not a Cíbolo in 2024?
Placenames matter. They convey the significance of the place they demarcate.
The term cibolo spans all possible dimensions of Presidio County's identity, grounded at the precise location where that rock rests. It starts with the first historical records associated with the region. It is a rock shaped by nature resembling the bison that once grazed around it. It attaches to the creek that runs through the valley floor within eyesight of it. It attaches to the history of the Indigenous peoples who lived there, passes on that of the same of the Spanish and Mexicans who came later, and carries on further to that of the Americans who came after them. It attaches to all the ways that humans made a living in the region, farming, ranching and mining.
It is only through the power of suggestion that the rock resembles an exotic elephant, its trunk buried unnaturally out of sight in the ground and the limestone offering no possibility at all for a tail and elephant-like ears. A more natural suggestion is that of an iconic American bison grazing the plain, alone but well-integrated into the land. Should passersby finally see the cibolo in that rock, they will also appreciate the centuries of human legacy associated with that totem in that place, perhaps also the millennia of generations of cibolos who visited that rock weathered in their image.
Who is behind the effort to Reclaim Buffalo Rock?
This project is a partnership between Big Bend Conservation Alliance and The People of La Junta for Preservation.
In February 2024, we submitted an application for a subject marker to the Texas Historical Commission. If approved, this marker would sit at the turn out in front of what is now known as "Elephant Rock" and it would describe the origins of the word Cibolo, the history of the buffalo in the region, and connections to Indigenous peoples. The paper, "Cibolo Rock," which supports our application was authored by Oscar S. Rodriguez, on behalf of Big Bend Conservation Alliance, with edits and additions by Nakaya Flotte, PhD, on behalf of The People of La Junta for Preservation.
The process to get the marker will take more than a year. In the meantime, we are seeking community support to ask Presidio County and TxDOT to honor the original name of this landmark.
PRESS
Big Bend Sentinel, “Petition to rename Elephant Rock sparks controversy” by Sam Karas. March 13, 2024.
Marfa Public Radio, “Local conservationists propose renaming Elephant Rock” by Annie Rosenthal. March 14, 2024.