TNC Buffalo Restoration Program

Buffalo Restoration A powerful story of reconnection told by The Nature Conservancy

THE BUFFALO (Bison bison)

North America’s largest land mammal ▪ Immense 6 feet tall, 800-2000 pounds ▪ Powerful Speeds up to 40 miles per hour ▪ Agile Horizontal & vertical jumps of 6+ feet

▪ Iconic National mammal of the United States ▪ Threatened A buffalo stands at TNC's Nachusa Prairie Preserve in Illinois. © Charles Larry

BUFFALO RESTORATION

THE BUFFALO (Bison bison)

Bison Stewardship ▪ The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has long recognized bison as an ecological keystone species, first reintroducing them to our preserves in 1978. Today, we are the second-largest private producer of bison in the U.S. We manage bison as a restoration partner at eleven native grassland preserves, and many of them contain unique genetics that are critical for perpetuating bison as a species well into the future.

TNC staff are dedicated stewards of our buffalo herds. © Morgan Heim

BUFFALO RESTORATION

THE BUFFALO (Bison bison)

An Ecological Keystone ▪ When grasslands are healthy, they provide invaluable natural climate solutions. And buffalo are critical to grassland health, upholding an intricate web of relationships between thousands of species.

▪ Their heavy bodies churn and move the earth, aerating the soil and creating rain-filled wallows for insects, amphibians and reptiles. Their dense fur transports seeds to sow new growth and insulates the nests of birds. As they graze, they open space for ground-nesting bees and wildflowers, eventually releasing nutrients that feed micro-organisms living beneath the surface.

BUFFALO RESTORATION

(Left) A bison at TNC’s Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Oklahoma. © Morgan Heim; (Top) Wildflowers and pollinators benefit from buffalo, who graze mostly on grasses.

(Middle; © Harvey Payne; (Bottom) A buffalo rolls on the ground, creating a wallow that will provide refuge for frogs, turtles and other aquatic species. © Chris Helzer

The Nature Conservancy’s Buffalo Herds

11 HERDS

6,000+ BISON

113,000 ACRES

BUFFALO RESTORATION

THE BUFFALO (Bison bison)

A Cultural Keystone ▪ As many as 60 million buffalo once roamed from the Arctic Circle to Mexico, their rangelands mirroring the ancestral territories of hundreds of tribal nations with whom the buffalo shared a deep connection.

▪ To these peoples, buffalo provided food, clothing, shelter, and cultural and spiritual connections that guided ways of life. For instance, bison live in a matriarchal structure— female cows walk at the front of the herd, guiding them to safety and abundance. So too, many Indigenous communities reflected this matriarchy in their own social structures.

(Left) Approximate historic range of American bison. © Mapping Specialists; (Right) A map representing approximate ancestral territories of peoples native to the North American continent. © Native-land.ca

BUFFALO RESTORATION

Watch to better understand the buffalo’s cultural significance.

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THE HISTORY

U.S. Campaign Against Buffalo

“Every buffalo dead is an Indian gone.”

▪ As part of efforts to force Indigenous Peoples from their homes and onto reservations, the U.S. government enacted policies that incentivized the slaughter of buffalo, recognizing this would deprive many Native peoples of their main source of food, clothing, shelter and more.

Colonel Richard I. Dodge 1867 Fort McPherson, Nebraska1 A pile of buffalo skulls await industrial processing at Michigan Carbon Works.

Bones were used for glue, fertilizer, dye/tint/ink or burned to create bone char. © Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library.

1 https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2016/05/the-buffalo-killers/482349/

BUFFALO RESTORATION

THE OPPORTUNITY

Restoring Buffalo ▪ Fortunately, that is not where the story ends.

The InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC), which represents 82 member Nations, has been leading the restoration of buffalo across North America for 30 years.

▪ More recently, Tanka Fund has also joined the movement, representing Native producers and Native-led nonprofits.

Troy Heinert of ITBC helps TNC release buffalo to the Yankton Sioux Tribe in South Dakota in the fall of 2022. © Ramona Emerson

BUFFALO RESTORATION

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ITBC MISSION STATEMENT

Returning the buffalo to Tribal lands will help heal the land, the animal, and the spirit of the Indian people.

BUFFALO RESTORATION

Watch buffalo return home to Native lands

Scan with a mobile device or visit https://youtu.be/qfkBn2pujj0?si=Bx5YnTGRHe5l128z

“Buffalo means everything to us. Building up our buffalo herds strengthens Tribes and makes us more resilient.”

NICK HERNANDEZ, SECRETARY TREASURER, TANKA FUND

BUFFALO RESTORATION

Buffalo Herds and Rematriation Sites

80+ NATIVE NATIONS

1M TRIBAL ACRES MANAGED FOR BUFFALO

1,800+ BUFFALO RETURNED TO DATE

BUFFALO RESTORATION

THE OPPORTUNITY

Building Trust ▪ Around 2018, the InterTribal Buffalo Council invited TNC to explore a partnership.

▪ However, after two Board votes, ITBC was split on whether they wished to partner with us. Their concerns were founded in the truth that TNC has always not been a good partner to Indigenous Peoples. Many times, we have acquired or sold lands without consulting the Native peoples to whom they belonged and are important.

Adult bison and calf at TNC’s 40,000 acre Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. © Morgan Heim

BUFFALO RESTORATION

THE OPPORTUNITY

Right Relations ▪ Thankfully, ITBC continued in conversation and trust-building with TNC as we learned to be a better ally in Indian Country.

▪ During their 2022 annual gathering, ITBC board members shared deep appreciation for the respect and openness TNC has shown.

(Top) TNC Buffalo Restoration Program staff invited to ITBC’s annual member meeting in Quapaw, Oklahoma (2022) were honored with heartfelt gifts. © Andrea Torres; (Bottom) ITBC board members were gifted a painted buffalo skull in gratitude from a member nation. © Philip Rudolph

BUFFALO RESTORATION

THE OPPORTUNITY

Principles of The Nature Conservancy’s Indigenous Right Relations Program Work in partnership

Trust-building and trustworthiness form the foundation

Respect and support Indigenous rights

Approach this work with persistence and patience

To learn more about how TNC partners with Indigenous communities around the world, visit https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/how-we-work/community-led-conservation/

BUFFALO RESTORATION

Restore society’s responsibilities for stewardship and our reciprocal relationship with nature

"This is a journey of healing, built in trust and reciprocity. Through the buffalo, we are finding beautiful new friendships and relationships that will carry us toward new ways of approaching conservation."

BRIE FRALEY, TNC INDIGENOUS RIGHT RELATIONS DIRECTOR

BUFFALO RESTORATION

THE OPPORTUNITY

Co-Creating a New Model ▪ TNC is still learning how to be a trusted partner who recognizes and embraces the leadership, knowledge and experience of Indigenous Peoples.

▪ Alongside ITBC and Tanka Fund, we are co-creating a buffalo restoration model that ethically and equitably supports Indigenous Peoples in North America to create a shared future of healthy lands, waters, and communities ▪ Since 2020, more than 1,800 buffalo born and raised on TNC preserves have journeyed home to Indigenous communities across the country.

Buffalo step from a trailer onto the lands of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribal Nations in Wyoming. © Brad Christensen

BUFFALO RESTORATION

THE OPPORTUNITY

A Transfer Story “When we pulled up, a whole bunch of folks were there to greet us—from children to elders. Being part of that moment, witnessing the community welcome home their buffalo relatives with huge smiles...that's the moment I began to feel and understand the significance of this work. It changed my life. Today, I can still hear the hooves of those buffalo running off the trailer to take their first steps on Potawatomi land. When I look at TNC’s herds, I now not only see us and our stewards, but I see the Potawatomi. I see the Seneca, the Modoc, the Lakota, the Menominee, the Lipan Apache…I see the people. I see shared humanity.”

– CODY CONSIDINE CO-LEAD, TNC BUFFALO RESTORATION PROGRAM Cody Considine (TNC) prays with tribal partners ahead of 2022 buffalo release to the Menominee Tribe in Wisconsin. © Philip Rudolph (TNC)

BUFFALO RESTORATION

THE NEED

$7M IN FUNDING

1,500+ BUFFALO RETURNED BY 2024

Let’s Work Together ▪ Together, ITBC, Tanka Fund and TNC are committed to transferring 1,500 buffalo over two years—more than tripling the number of buffalo rematriated to Native communities.

▪ We are raising $7M to support the transfers and all things associated with them – from land acquisitions to infrastructure, policy, learning exchanges, and other community needs.

▪ This is only the beginning. ITBC, TNC and Tanka share a vision that sees well beyond 2024, to a buffalo restoration model that advances conservation of the land for nature and people.

Bison at TNC’s Broken Kettle Grassland Preserve in Iowa. © Chris Helzer

BUFFALO RESTORATION

THE NEED

Beyond the Buffalo ▪ As more buffalo return to their ancestral homes and fulfill the cultural and ecological roles they evolved to play for North American grasslands, they will bring back biodiversity, heal lands, and build connections among us all.

▪ Together, we must move to evolve our classic notions of conservation. Indeed, TNC’s audacious 2030 Goals depend on durable partnerships and resources to shift to a new business model – one that centers our tribal partners. Because as we uplift and invest in Indigenous communities, in ourselves, and in new ways of working, we are supporting healthy, thriving grasslands, buffalo, people and communities.

A woman and child watch as buffalo return to Native lands in Wyoming © Brad Christensen

BUFFALO RESTORATION

You Can Help!

Learn more about how you can support the Buffalo Restoration Program.

CORISSA BUSSE

KELLY HALL

Buffalo Restoration Program Director

Associate Director of Philanthropy

corissa.busse@tnc.org

kelly.hall@tnc.org

605-484-1382

314-775-5398

RESOURCES

Watch & Read to learn more • Panel discussion with Troy Heinert (ITBC), Corissa Busse (TNC), and Brie Fraley (TNC) • Buffalo Homecoming: a 1-hr recorded event produced by TNC • The American Buffalo: a film by Ken Burns • Homecoming: a film directed by Julianna Brannum, extends the story of The American Buffalo

• Factsheet: an introduction to the Buffalo Restoration Program

BUFFALO RESTORATION