Heinrich introduces bill to help tribes better manage buffalo herds

Buffalo have long played an important role for many Native American tribes. They provided them with clothing, food, shelter and much more. This week, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., introduced bipartisan legislation to create a permanent bison program that would help tribes manage current and future herds.

The Indian Buffalo Management Act would provide continued funding to tribal organizations that have established or are interested in acquiring bison herds.

Heinrich spoke to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on Thursday about the importance of this bill.

“Establishing and managing a new bison herd is a resource-intensive process for tribes, and there is a very real need for technical support and resources,” he said.

He also spoke of his visit two years ago to the Pueblo de Picuris.

“I learned how the community is putting bison meat back into their diet,” he said. “The Picuris tribal herd has allowed the Pueblo to distribute much of this healthy, locally grown and culturally important protein to the community free of charge.”

The Pueblos of Pojoaque, Sandia and Taos also have herds of buffalo. Before the systematic destruction of buffalo in the 1800s by white settlers, there were more than 60 million of them across much of the United States.

If passed, the bill would create a permanent buffalo restoration and management program within the Department of the Interior to protect and expand buffalo habitats while ensuring that tribes are directly involved in making decisions. decision.

The bill is co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma. It has the support of many organizations, including the InterTribal Buffalo Council, made up of 82 tribes across the country, as well as the National Bison Association, The Nature Conservancy, the National Wildlife Federation and the National Parks Conservation Association .

The bill now awaits a full review by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

Support for this coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation.