Heinrich Bill to Promote Tribal Buffalo Management Receives Key Audience

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich highlights his Indian Buffalo Management Act during a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, June 12, 2024. Courtesy/MHO

From the office of US Senator Martin Heinrich:

WASHINGTON, DC — The Indian Buffalo Management Act, legislation championed by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), was the subject of a key hearing this week before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. The legislation would help promote and support tribal management of bison herds.

During his speech, Heinrich said, “Several years ago, I was proud to lead, with Senator John Hoeven, the effort to designate the bison as our national mammal. This species constitutes an essential element of our culture in New Mexico, throughout the West and especially in Indian country. The growth of tribal buffalo herds in recent decades is both a symbol of the enduring resilience of this iconic species and a major economic development opportunity for many tribes. Dozens of tribes, many in New Mexico, including the Taos, Picuris, Pojoaque, and Sandia Pueblos, have done significant work to establish tribal buffalo herds on their lands.

Heinrich recalled his visit to see the production herd at Picuris Pueblo in 2022. He said: “Two years ago I visited Picuris Pueblo and came out with their herd leader, Danny Sam, to see their operation up close. I learned how the community is reintroducing bison meat into their diet. And 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. Our bipartisan, bicameral bill, the Indian Buffalo Management Act, would strengthen federal support for tribal bison programs like the one I saw in Picuris.

Heinrich concluded his speech: “I hope that in my lifetime, thanks in large part to these tribal buffalo herds, we will see the bison return to the important place it once occupied as a keystone species on the prairies in short American grasses. »

THE Indian Buffalo Management Act provides secure and consistent funding to tribes and tribal organizations that have established bison herds, and provides resources to tribes that wish to establish new herds.

The bill creates a permanent buffalo restoration and management program within the Department of the Interior to:

• Promote and develop the capacity of tribes and tribal organizations to manage bison and their habitat;
• Protect and enhance buffalo herds for the maximum benefit of the tribes; And
• Ensure tribes are directly involved in Department of the Interior decision-making regarding buffalo.

The bill was endorsed by the InterTribal Buffalo Council, the National Bison Association, The Nature Conservancy, the National Wildlife Federation and the National Parks Conservation Association.

“The hearing on Senators Heinrich and Mullin’s bipartisan legislation was a great day in the history of what we call the Buffalo Nation,” said Chairman Ervin Carlson of the InterTribal Buffalo Council. “Previous legislation passed the House, but we are now seeing real progress in the Senate. As I said in my testimony, the buffalo meant everything to the Indians of this county. We depended on it for food, shelter, clothing, tools and much more. It was a central part of our culture and when the buffalo were nearly wiped out, so were we. While Teddy Roosevelt and other conservationists play a key role in preventing extinction, it is tribes who are now leading the charge on restoration. We now hope the bill will move to the full Senate, a crucial step for it to become law this year.

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

A one-page summary of the bill is here.

The text of the bill is here.