The Coming Back Of The "Innii"

Untitled Slide

• The Blackfeet people were buffalo people for thousands of years.
• food, clothing, and shelter
• It connected us to our animal and plant relatives in a way nothing else could provide
• until the buffalo returned, the Blackfeet would drift.

Untitled Slide

• In 2015 Blackfeet and the Wildlife Conservation Society contacted Elk Island National Park.
• 88 Buffalo descendants of the "Pablo-Allard" herd (1873)
• September 23, 2015 - The Buffalo Treaty: A Treaty of Cooperation, Renewal, and Restoration was signed.

Leroy Littlebear said, “Two decades ago… ,who would have thought that the Buffalo would be coming back to its rightful home? Our Elders told us that its numbers may be few but the spirit of the Buffalo never left Blackfoot Territory. That spirit continues to manifest itself in our songs, stories, and ceremonies"

Untitled Slide

• 68% support restoration
• 26% opposed
• 68% support giving the bison to Native American tribes for relocation to tribal lands
• ..........other 26% assholes..........

Untitled Slide

• Despite the cultural importance to Natives, bison are one of the only wild North American mammals that has not recovered to higher numbers
• Unlike elk, moose, or deer, bison get very little respect outside the national parks.

Untitled Slide

• The best way to help is through education, negotiation, and creative actions
• Long-term success relies on partnerships with Tribes, Federal and State agencies, and private landowners

Thank You