ELEVATING NATIVE VOICES

The Greater Yellowstone region is home to an astounding array of native wildlife. Its wild rivers are the headwaters of the West. It is of deep importance to the First Nations who have made this place home since time immemorial. More than 26 tribes have strong spiritual and cultural connections to Greater Yellowstone’s vast and abundant natural resources. Those who know Greater Yellowstone know there is no other place like it in the world.

At GYC, we are committed to engaging a wide range of people who care about this region, including Indigenous communities whose voices have long been marginalized by a conservation movement built

ALSO ACCOMPLISHED IN 2020: on a history of forced removal and led largely by white people. We recently created a new conservation program on the Wind River Reservation led by Wes Martel. The reservation is a massive landscape in Greater Yellowstone, spanning more than 2.2 million acres – about equal to the size of Yellowstone National Park. It has a small but growing buffalo herd and is the seventh largest Indian Reservation in the country.

As a veteran and a twentyyear member of the Eastern Shoshone Business Council, Wes brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to GYC. During his tenure with the Council, he oversaw programs and legislation dealing with water, taxation, energy, and the environment. He was also chairman of the Fish & Game Committee for the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes. His work included helping with drafting, approving, and adopting the Wind River Water Code. Wes has a deep and abiding respect for the values and beliefs of Indigenous people and brings enthusiasm and a positive and engaging spirit to his work.

As part of our new program, Wes will focus on furthering priorities of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho and building support for land, water, and wildlife conservation. Through