Federal officials $25 million to grow and conserve bison herds on tribal lands. A from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland also calls to integrate Indigenous knowledge in efforts to restore bison across the U.S.
Tens of millions of bison, which are also called buffalo, . But the species was hunted to near extinction in the late 1800s. Today, wild bison number in the tens of thousands nationwide, including about 20,000 managed by tribes.
Jason Baldes works for the National Wildlife Federation and lives on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. , and the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes now manage over 100 animals. Baldes said this most recent announcement is a step in the right direction for Indigenous communities nationwide.
鈥淭here's a lot of benefits to having buffalo back on the ground in our communities around education and academics,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e a keystone species, so that should be reason enough to restore them to the landscape because it benefits the grasses, the birds, the insects.鈥�
He said herds also provide food for tribal members and maintain the cultural identity of Indigenous communities.
鈥淭his is a project and an effort that rights a wrong, and it's part of healing for us as Native people,鈥� Baldes said. 鈥淚t helps when other people understand that.鈥�
The money comes from the Inflation Reduction Act and will go toward building new herds, transferring more bison from federal to tribal lands and creating new bison management agreements with tribes. The Interior Department currently manages about 11,000 animals across 12 states.
Baldes said Haaland鈥檚 announcement and Interior鈥檚 investment fails to meet the need for bison restoration on tribal grasslands across the country, but that he鈥檚 optimistic about future partnerships. He also said much of the land in the West has been prioritized for agriculture, rather than wildlife, and that land-use systems need to be updated so that bison aren鈥檛 treated 鈥渓ike cattle.鈥�
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