Historic Bison Tribe Lifestyle Collaboration Launched to Restore Bison and Revitalize Indigenous Communities

On July 17, the InterTribal Buffalo Council, Native Americans in Philanthropy, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund announced the launch of the Tribal Buffalo Lifeways Collaboration.

This groundbreaking partnership aims to stabilize, establish and expand tribally-led buffalo (bison) restoration, fostering cultural, spiritual, ecological and economic revitalization within Indigenous communities.

The initiative will work closely with the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to build on the momentum generated by Native leaders seeking to bring lasting structural change and restore bison to tribal lands on an unprecedented scale.

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The collaboration will provide resources needed to support tribal communities, including infrastructure improvements (such as fencing), training for herd managers, and access to land through co-stewardship, leasing and acquisition.

“Bison are essential to the health, well-being, and prosperity of Native communities across Indian Country. We are pleased to support this collaboration between nonprofit and intertribal organizations to help tribal communities restore and create healthy, sustainable bison herds on tribal lands,” Wizipan Garriott, principal deputy assistant secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior, said in a press release. “Strong public-private partnerships like this strengthen tribal ecosystem restoration projects and enhance bison cultural revitalization in tribal communities.”

Bison, as an ecological and cultural keystone species, play a crucial role in many natural relationships in North America. Their restoration on tribal lands is a critical step in repairing these relationships, which were intentionally severed by the United States government to enable European settlement and the subsequent violence against Indigenous peoples and conversion of natural areas.

The InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC), a national leader in buffalo restoration, helps 83 tribes manage more than 25,000 buffalo in 22 states, collectively managing more than 10 percent of the nation’s buffalo population.

“Since 1992, ITBC has worked tirelessly to restore bison to tribes and provided critical technical assistance for healthy herd management with extremely limited funds,” ITBC President Ervin Carlson said in a news release. “On behalf of the organization and its member tribes, ITBC is grateful for this collaboration that has included the tribal vision for bison restoration and has the opportunity to provide significant funding to enhance the tribes’ restoration efforts.”

Despite representing nearly 3% of the U.S. population, Native American communities receive less than 0.4% of U.S. philanthropic giving. This collaborative initiative aims to address this disparity by bringing together tribal values, ecological stewardship, and economic revitalization to increase funding and resources for cultural preservation and restoration of Buffalo ways of life for future generations.

“This collaboration marks a historic milestone in our journey to restore bison to tribal lands and revitalize Native ways of life,” Erik Stegman, CEO of Native Americans in Philanthropy, said in a press release. “By joining forces, we are not only fostering ecological and cultural renewal, but also ensuring that the leadership and vision of Native communities are at the forefront of this critical work. Together, we can honor our traditions and pave the way for lasting economic and environmental benefits.”

The values, goals, and needs of the InterTribal Buffalo Council members were the foundation for this collaboration, as expressed by herd managers at a meeting in September 2023. These commitments build on an executive order issued by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to restore healthy wild bison populations and prairie grassland ecosystems, using more than $25 million from the Inflation Reduction Act.

Through this new collaboration, the future of bison restoration and Indigenous community revitalization looks brighter than ever, ensuring that the cultural and ecological ways of life associated with bison are preserved and strengthened for future generations.

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