bison walking across the green grass prairie on the eastern flanks of the rocky mountains and glacier national park with the sun shining bright through the clouds creating dramatic sun rays. Blackfeet Reservation, Montana. — Bison roam the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in North West Montana. Glacier National Park in the background. © Tony Bynum All rights reserved.

Buffalo restoration on the Blackfeet Reservation is a 20-year quest to restore the land and the people.

When asked, "What is the most iconic animal on the American landscape?" There is one answer from a Native American’s perspective, the BUFFALO.

The American Bison (most westerners and Native Americans who have grown up with the historical significance of the Bison refer to them as Buffalo) nearly went extinct a hundred and fifty years ago. Before the westward expansion, there were said to be upwards of 60,000,000 bison on the North American continent.

Today, bison numbers are on the rise. Some estimate there are about 15,000 “wild” bison, the most significant portion of which are found in Yellowstone National Park. Thanks to one of human history's most influential conservation endeavors, bison are returning. The front lines of this effort are across the West, but especially here in my home state of Montana. Non-profits and agencies may have led the fight, but ordinary people like you will help win the forthcoming battle.

On March 3, 2023, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland signed Secretarial Order 3410, “Restoration of the American Bison and Praire Grasslands.”

“The American bison is inextricably intertwined with Indigenous culture, grassland ecology, and American history,” said Secretary Haaland. “While the overall recovery of bison over the last 130 years is a conservation success story, significant work remains to not only ensure that bison will remain a viable species but also to restore grassland ecosystems, strengthen rural economies dependent on grassland health and provide for the return of bison to Tribally owned and ancestral lands.”
“The best science shows that returning bison to grasslands can enhance soil development, restore native plants and wildlife, and promote carbon sequestration, thereby providing benefits for agriculture, outdoor recreation, and Tribes. In addition, restoring bison and healthy grasslands can serve as a step toward national healing and reconciliation after centuries of federal policies designed to erase Native people and their cultures.”

The full text of Secretarial Order 3410.

Other news articles related to the restoration of bison and prairies.

About Deb Haaland

Montana Free Press Bison Prairie Restoration Article

Outsider.com Bison Prairie Restoration Article