Posted on Oct 30, 2022
Buffalo are being restored to tribal lands throughout the Midwest
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Hundreds of buffalo raised in preserves throughout the Midwest will soon begin their journey to tribal lands across the country.
It’s part of an effort led by the InterTribal Buffalo Council, a network of 79 tribal nations that work together to distribute buffalo. This year the group plans to relocate some 1,500 buffalo to member nations through its Surplus Buffalo Program.
ITBC Executive Director Troy Heinert, who is Sicangu Lakota from the Rosebud Sioux reservation in South Dakota, has spent the past decade overseeing the restoration effort.
“We've shipped over 20,000 buffalo in our 30 years,” he said.
At their peak, millions of buffalo roamed throughout much of what is now the United States and Canada. By 1900, it’s estimated that only about 400 buffalo were left. The near demise of North America’s largest mammal was driven by the U.S. Army in the 1800s — a deliberate policy to weaken Native American tribes through starvation.
That’s why restoring buffalo, particularly under tribal management, is so important to Heinert.
It’s part of an effort led by the InterTribal Buffalo Council, a network of 79 tribal nations that work together to distribute buffalo. This year the group plans to relocate some 1,500 buffalo to member nations through its Surplus Buffalo Program.
ITBC Executive Director Troy Heinert, who is Sicangu Lakota from the Rosebud Sioux reservation in South Dakota, has spent the past decade overseeing the restoration effort.
“We've shipped over 20,000 buffalo in our 30 years,” he said.
At their peak, millions of buffalo roamed throughout much of what is now the United States and Canada. By 1900, it’s estimated that only about 400 buffalo were left. The near demise of North America’s largest mammal was driven by the U.S. Army in the 1800s — a deliberate policy to weaken Native American tribes through starvation.
That’s why restoring buffalo, particularly under tribal management, is so important to Heinert.
Buffalo are being restored to tribal lands throughout the Midwest
Posted from news.stlpublicradio.orgPosted in these groups: 
Wildlife
Native Americans
Wildlife Native Americans
Posted >1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."“It is just an amazing feeling beyond the ecological and conservation opportunities that it represents,” he said of reconnecting buffalo with Indigenous people.
The 1,000-pound mammals are keystone species for prairie ecosystems, according to Elizabeth Bach, the Nachusa Grasslands ecosystem restoration scientist. She said buffalo help plants and animals thrive by grazing and stamping down the tallgrasses.
“They can change competition between plant species, they can transport seeds on their fur, they can kind of bring those seeds to the ground through their wallowing behaviors, and by trampling,” she said.
Bach said that buffalo aren't just an incredibly important part of the ecosystem, the animal is also a vital part of the country's cultural heritage.
“And it's really remarkable to have these animals on the landscape and to see them and to understand how they connect with people across North America and around the world,” she said. “And what that represents is really important.”
This marks the third year The Nature Conservancy has taken part in the ITBC’s program. To date it’s contributed around 270 animals to the restoration efforts."...
..."“It is just an amazing feeling beyond the ecological and conservation opportunities that it represents,” he said of reconnecting buffalo with Indigenous people.
The 1,000-pound mammals are keystone species for prairie ecosystems, according to Elizabeth Bach, the Nachusa Grasslands ecosystem restoration scientist. She said buffalo help plants and animals thrive by grazing and stamping down the tallgrasses.
“They can change competition between plant species, they can transport seeds on their fur, they can kind of bring those seeds to the ground through their wallowing behaviors, and by trampling,” she said.
Bach said that buffalo aren't just an incredibly important part of the ecosystem, the animal is also a vital part of the country's cultural heritage.
“And it's really remarkable to have these animals on the landscape and to see them and to understand how they connect with people across North America and around the world,” she said. “And what that represents is really important.”
This marks the third year The Nature Conservancy has taken part in the ITBC’s program. To date it’s contributed around 270 animals to the restoration efforts."...
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Excellent! The only time I ever saw a buffalo was in the zoo. Hopefully one day I will travel the Great Plains and see some in their natural habitat.
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LTC David Brown
Go to Yellowstone National Park. There used to be as many as 60 million on the prairie.
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Cpl Vic Burk
LTC David Brown - One day! My wife's health condition prevents us from traveling to far and Yellowstone is long, long way from East Tennessee!
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