The American buffalo, an eco-cultural species, is critical to sustaining Native cultures and lifeways and the healthy function of grassland ecosystems. The importance of the American buffalo cannot be overstated as it is central to tribal identity, culture, ceremony, livelihoods, and food systems.
Because the health of Tribes and American Buffalo are strongly connected, direct support for tribally led initiatives is needed to ensure traditional knowledge and practices are restored alongside this culturally revered species.
Building on First Nations’ efforts to improve the health of grasslands, First Nations is supporting tribal efforts to restore buffalo in Montana and Wyoming – two states with limited grantmaking support from in-state foundations.
Made possible with support from the Freeman Foundation, this project provides financial, technical, and networking support to Tribes in Montana and Wyoming, as well as professional development opportunities to other tribal and community representatives leading buffalo restoration efforts.
To date, the partners listed below are receiving support to develop conservation plans to restore buffalo and/or build staff capacity to grow buffalo work through ecotourism, community engagement, youth programming, and partnership development to improve herd health and landscape connectivity:
Additionally, partners are receiving tailored technical assistance (TA) on a wide range of diverse needs such as strategic planning for buffalo restoration, connectivity mapping, collaboration, marketing, and grant writing.
This technical assistance will increase tribal capacity to access larger funding opportunities.
Learn more about programs and initiatives through First Nations’ Stewarding Native Lands program.
This project strengthens water infrastructure to improve water access, enhance grazing management, support buffalo health, and increase forage production across 34,000 acres of buffalo pasture.
This project focuses on growing program staff capacity, increasing community education, and developing construction plans on a buffalo program office. This project advances tribal food sovereignty and grassland stewardship within the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.
This project kickstarts ecological monitoring on privately owned buffalo pasture and tribal land. This project also supports organizational operations associated with the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone’s science departments.
This project provides quality buffalo meat to support community, cultural, and ecosystem health. Through education and outreach, Blackfeet Tribe is engaging future generations, strengthening cultural connections, supporting ecological restoration, and creating employment opportunities.
This project supports the development of Rocky Boy Buffalo Project's community-based visitor center where people can learn about the Rocky Boy Buffalo Project and the cultural, ecological, and economic importance of buffalo restoration.
Fort Belknap Indian Community of the Fort Belknap Reservation of Montana
This project will advance buffalo restoration on tribal lands by building the Fort Belknap Buffalo program capacity and creating opportunities for youth to participate in summer reseeding and fencing projects.
Inter-Tribal
This project will offer quality buffalo meat to enhance people's health and lives. We will utilize education and outreach to create opportunities to recruit and retain younger generations to carry on buffalo restoration. The project will promote culture, spiritual revitalization, ecological restoration and will increase employment opportunities.
Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana
This project will create a visitor information center with outbuildings for office space for management/ employees of the buffalo program and equipment storage space.
Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming
This project is restoring the conservation of Buffalo for the Wind River Reservation and tribal members through land rematriation, community revitalization, and youth education. It (re)creates connection to the Buffalo, increases the number of buffalo and amount of land owned by the Tribes, and leverages the Tribes' spiritual ceremonies.
