Legislation would assist in tribal management of bison

Leaders from the Blackfeet Nation and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes praised legislation introduced in Congress last month that centers tribal sovereignty into the management of bison herds on tribal lands.

The bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management Act would create a permanent program within the Interior department that assists tribal ownership and management of bison. The bill requires the Interior to sign onto contracts, award grants and provide technical assistance to tribes for activities related to buffalo restoration and management.

“What it would do is solidify the federal government’s trust and responsibility to help tribes restore buffalo,” said Jason Baldes, the senior tribal buffalo program manager at the National Wildlife Federation and the vice president of the Intertribal Buffalo Council.