For thousands of years, the buffalo or plains bison (Bison bison) sustained the many native tribes that inhabited the Great Plains region of North America. However, after the arrival of Europeans the bison and indigenous way of life were nearly exterminated. In recent years, the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Montana's Fort Peck Reservation have joined with other tribal groups throughout the Northern Great Plains to bring bison back to their ancestral lands and into their lives.
In November 2014, the tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation received a second installment of genetically pure Yellowstone bison from Ted Turner's Montana ranch. Turner had been the caretaker of the bison for several years. The move to Fort Peck, which was supported by numerous conservation organizations, is intended to augment the genetically pure herd that the tribes established in 2012.
The Path Back: Dakota Language Version
The Path Back: Nakona / Nakoda Language Version
Voices of the women of Fort Peck Reservation in northeastern Montana who've worked to bring bison back onto their lands and into their lives.
Honoring the Buffalo Treaty at Fort Peck [DOCUMENTARY]
The Buffalo: A Treaty of Cooperation, Renewal and Restoration