Background

On March 3, 2023, the Secretary of the Interior issued Order 3410, Restoration of American Bison and the Prairie Grasslands, directing all Department of the Interior Bureaus to work to restore wild and healthy populations of American (plains) bison and prairie grassland ecosystems through collaboration among the Department’s Bureaus, states, other federal agencies, and Tribes. The Department also challenged non-governmental organizations to collaborate on strategies to implement Tribal buffalo restoration and enhancement. 

In response to this Order and the Department’s challenge, InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC) held a Herd Managers Gathering in September 2023, among 41 buffalo herd managers from 31 Tribes across 13 states, to discuss the status of ITBC member Tribe’s buffalo programs and their priorities. The values, goals, and needs articulated by herd managers during this gathering are integral to this Collaboration. 

Building on these commitments, the four partners InterTribal Buffalo Council, Native Americans in Philanthropy, The Nature Conservancy, and World Wildlife Fund have an unprecedented opportunity to support the establishment, stabilization, and expansion of Tribal-led buffalo programs at a new scale.