Washington, D.C. (July 17, 2024)-The Tribal Buffalo Lifeways Collaboration was announced today by the InterTribal Buffalo Council, Native Americans in Philanthropy, The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund. This new, historic alliance was created to stabilize, establish, and expand Tribal-led buffalo (bison) restoration, and foster cultural, spiritual, ecological, and economic revitalization within Native communities. Together, the groups have committed to work with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to build on the momentum created by Indigenous leaders to bring lasting structural change and return buffalo to Tribal lands at an unprecedented scale.
The Collaboration seeks to support Tribal communities with necessary resources to ensure the success of buffalo rematriation. This includes improved infrastructure (e.g., fencing), training for herd managers, and access to land through co-stewardship, leasing, and acquisition.
"Buffalo are essential to the health, well-being, and prosperity of Native communities across Indian Country. We are pleased to support this collaboration of nonprofits and intertribal organizations to help Tribal communities further restore and create sustainable healthy buffalo herds on Tribal lands," said Wizipan Garriott, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior. "Strong public and private sector partnerships such as this, enhance Tribal ecosystem restoration projects, and improve the cultural revitalization of buffalo in Tribal communities."
Buffalo are ecological and cultural keystone species whose role is integral to thousands of natural relationships across North America. Their restoration on Tribal lands is an essential step in repairing these relationships which were intentionally severed by the United States government, enabling colonization by European settlers and the ensuing violence against Native people as well as the extensive conversion of natural areas. The InterTribal Buffalo Council is a nationwide leader in buffalo restoration whose vision continues to heal these harms, supporting 83 Tribes in the management of more than 25,000 buffalo across 22 states. Collectively, the InterTribal Buffalo Council and its members manage more than 10% of the nation's buffalo population, larger than the herd managed by the U.S. National Park Service.
"Since 1992, ITBC has worked tirelessly to restore buffalo to Tribes and provide critical technical assistance for healthy herd management on extremely limited funds," said Ervin Carlson, President, ITBC. On behalf of the organization and its member Tribes, ITBC is grateful for this collaboration that has been inclusive of the Tribal vision for buffalo restoration and has the opportunity to provide meaningful funding to enhance Tribal restoration efforts.
Despite representing close to 3% of the U.S. population, Native American communities receive less than 0.4 % of U.S. philanthropic dollars. This groundbreaking Collaborative brings together Tribal values, ecological stewardship, and economic revitalization to increase funding and resources for cultural preservation and restoration of Buffalo lifeways for future generations. Under this Collaboration, partners will prioritize and center their efforts around Native people to ensure their voices are leading this work.
"This collaboration marks a historic milestone in our journey to restore buffalo to Tribal lands and revitalize Indigenous lifeways," says Erik Stegman, CEO of Native Americans in Philanthropy. "By uniting our efforts, 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 crucial work. Together, we can honor our traditions but also pave the way for lasting economic and environmental benefits."
InterTribal Buffalo Council's members were foundational to this Collaboration, as values, goals, and needs articulated by herd managers during a September 2023 gathering are reflected in this Charter. These commitments build upon an Order issued by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to restore wild and healthy populations of buffalo and the prairie grassland ecosystem through the use of more than $25 million from the Inflation Reduction Act. This order empowers the Department's bureaus and partners to utilize the best available science and Indigenous Knowledge to restore buffalo across the country.
