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Following the Hollywood release of Butcher’s Crossing, an historical fiction depicting the dark history associated with the near-extinction of Plains bison in the 1800s, Defenders

Defenders of Wildlife today announced the recipient of the 2023 Spirit of Defenders Award for Conservation Partnerships. The award honors individuals and organizations for their extraordinary accomplishments and commitment to wildlife and land conservation. This year’s honoree in the category of Conservation Partnerships is the InterTribal Buffalo Council.

Defenders of Wildlife Senior Representative for Rockies and Plains Chamois Andersen issued a statement in response to an announcement by the Interior Department regarding planned action to restore bison populations as part of a new restoration and resilience framework.

A study published today in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution found that widespread restoration of bison to Tribal lands throughout the Northern Great Plains can help restore the prairie ecosystem while improving the long-running issue of food insecurity and food sovereignty for Native Nations, and may help to mitigate adverse impacts to traditional agricultural systems due to climate change.

Twenty-eight Yellowstone bison were released today at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, marking the sixth successful transfer from Yellowstone National Park to the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck since 2019.