Photo by Albert Mason
December 30, 2024
Huuwiihu, Hohou, Thank You
As 2024 comes to a close, our team at the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative has been reflecting on the past year of activities – our very first up and running at full capacity as an independent, Tribally-led nonprofit. The past year has been one of significant momentum and growth for WRTBI, and for our ongoing work to support both the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes in restoring Buffalo to our Tribal lands.
We are on a mission to restore conservation Buffalo through land rematriation, community revitalization, and youth education. The return of Buffalo has the power to heal land and people together; Buffalo restoration is a powerful step in exerting Tribal sovereignty and self-determination – including the return of lands back to Tribal ownership and management. This work is only the most recent step in a long legacy of conservation leadership demonstrated by the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes, a legacy that includes visionary action to protect the Wind River Wilderness/Roadless Area; restoration and protection for species such as pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, wolf and grizzly; and the creation of strong game and water codes.
WRTBI’s work to support Shoshone and Arapaho Buffalo rematriation – and the paradigm shift associated with returning Buffalo to management as wildlife under Tribal law, instead of livestock – emerges from that history.
This year, our work included:
• Returning Buffalo to our land, ceremonies, and diets: This spring, 20 new Buffalo calves were born in the Shoshone herd, while 15 calves were born to the Arapaho herd. After receiving animal donations from Genesee State Park and Colorado State University, over 220 Buffalo now roam on Wind River. Cultural field harvests from both the Shoshone and Arapaho herds have led to 15 Buffalo distributed meaningfully throughout our communities this year.
• Engaging youth: We developed and led on-site education programs, including youth camps, that reached 200+ Tribal youth from schools on the Wind River Indian Reservation, dozens of other school-aged children, and numerous community members.
• Giving back to our communities: In addition to welcoming community members on site for celebrations and events such as Indigenous People’s Day, we also sponsored multiple community activities. During the 2024 Eastern Shoshone Indian Days, WRTBI sponsored the Indian Relays rodeo event. We have also provided sponsorship funding for youth basketball, and sponsored a buckle for the 2024 youth high school rodeo.
• Expanding Buffalo habitat on Tribal land through land use change: In addition to land rematriation, WRTBI is working in select and appropriate areas to support land use change of Tribal lands to support conservation purposes. In 2024, WRTBI successfully worked to secure over $2 million in private philanthropic support to fence the 26 mile perimeter of this range unit, which will allow Tribal Buffalo to access this land by the fall of 2025.
• Strengthening our team: This spring, we welcomed Lynette St. Clair to the board. And this Autumn, we were excited to welcome Pamela (Eagle Hawk) Duran to our team as our Associate Director and Kaycee Prevedel as Communications and Partnerships Director. Xavier Michael-Young continued in 2024 as our Operations Manager; he and Albert Mason, who leads WRTBI science efforts, are both pursuing graduate education while also working full-time at WRTBI – an important example of how WRTBI fosters academic leadership from a Native perspective.
• Establishing scientific partnerships: WRTBI has been proud to develop strong partnerships with academic stakeholders, including Central Wyoming College, the University of Wyoming, University of California Berkeley, Montana State University, Colorado State University, and South Dakota State University. One science highlight: as a part of our scientific and community engagement efforts and in support of establishing an ecological baseline for the 17,000 acre range unit, we collaborated with Audubon Rockies and numerous other partners to host a three day “BioBlitz” community science event.
For the benefit of our communities
The work of restoring Buffalo to Tribal land is part of a powerful paradigm shift – a return to a holistic way of land use focused on benefitting our community, as opposed to an individualistic approach tied to historic colonial practices and worldview. As we move into 2025, we want to invite you to be part of this story and change.
Next year, we’re looking forward to:
• Completing fencing and other infrastructure upgrades that will prepare the 17,000 acre range unit for the release of Buffalo family groups
• Pursuing additional land acquisitions to add more private lands back into Tribal control
• Working to develop partnerships that will transition additional Tribal lands for use as Buffalo habitat
• Improving our ability to perform cultural field harvests of Buffalo on site through the use of a newly-purchased field harvesting unit.
• Planning for the construction of our permanent headquarters and Buffalo education and community center – funded by the groundbreaking $36 million EDA grant organized through the Wind River Development Fund, $9.2 million of funds this project at WRTBI
• More community programming, including opportunities to learn more about the work of WRTBI at outreach events throughout Wind River Indian Reservation communities
• Exploring opportunities to create more permeable landscapes for migrating wildlife by adding wildlife crossing structures to fencing
In conclusion, we want to say huuwiihu, hohou, thank you for being in community with us, and for supporting the return of Buffalo to our Tribal lands and communities; diets and ceremonies. The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes lead in this work. What we do here connects us not only to the entire Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but to all 86 Tribes – and counting – who are members of the Inter-Tribal Buffalo Council and are working to bring Buffalo back to Tribal lands.
Happy New Year, and we look forward to welcoming you to Buffalo Camp in 2025.
Jason Baldes