InterTribal Buffalo Council

09/30/2026

Today, NIWRC joins survivors and relatives across in wearing orange, and honoring September 30 as the National Day of Remembrance for U.S. Indian Boarding Schools.🧡

Healing begins with truth. Our lost children and survivors are never forgotten, they remain in our hearts, always.🧡

Wear orange. Amplify voices. Support healing.

Take action with us and support the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. 🪶

09/26/2026

09/17/2026

Reminder!!! Our September Technical Services webinar is TOMORROW, Friday, September 18th at 9a PT/ 10a MT/ 11a CT/ 12p ET! Join us for a webinar on "New Animal Introduction Considerations" before surplus and transfer season begins!

Registration link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdepk4JCNVGKs9iK3xHiDhQHzvewfj5-k4UXO0XBSE_kv8Xqw/viewform?usp=dialog

Hello ITBC Members, Partners, and Supporters,

We are excited to announce our September Technical Services Webinar titled "New Animal Introduction Considerations" featuring Dr. Danielle Buttke, Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiologist from the National Park Service!

This webinar will provide valuable insights for anyone introducing new buffalo to their herd, whether through ITBC's Surplus program or other avenues. We will cover key topics related to translocating buffalo, including the significance of translocations, the DOI culling process, and biosecurity measures (such as quarantine considerations and the importance of using clean trailers).

Join us on Friday, September 18th, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. MT to learn more!

Register at the pictured QR code or at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdepk4JCNVGKs9iK3xHiDhQHzvewfj5-k4UXO0XBSE_kv8Xqw/viewform?usp=dialog

09/16/2026

09/01/2026

Hello ITBC Members, Partners, and Supporters,

We are excited to announce our September Technical Services Webinar titled "New Animal Introduction Considerations" featuring Dr. Danielle Buttke, Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiologist from the National Park Service!

This webinar will provide valuable insights for anyone introducing new buffalo to their herd, whether through ITBC's Surplus program or other avenues. We will cover key topics related to translocating buffalo, including the significance of translocations, the DOI culling process, and biosecurity measures (such as quarantine considerations and the importance of using clean trailers).

Join us on Friday, September 18th, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. MT to learn more!

Register at the pictured QR code or at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdepk4JCNVGKs9iK3xHiDhQHzvewfj5-k4UXO0XBSE_kv8Xqw/viewform?usp=dialog

09/01/2026

A major buffalo homecoming is underway, and Tribal Nations are helping lead it.

In 2026, Yellowstone National Park transferred 211 live bison to the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana, the largest annual transfer yet through the park’s Bison Conservation Transfer Program.

The program provides an alternative to slaughter for eligible Yellowstone bison. Animals must clear required brucellosis testing before being transferred to Fort Peck for additional assurance testing. From there, some bison can later be distributed through the InterTribal Buffalo Council to other Tribal Nations.

Since 2019, more than 600 Yellowstone bison have been transferred to 29 Tribes across 13 states and one Canadian province. The broader movement extends beyond Yellowstone as well. The National Park Service says it has transferred nearly 10,000 live bison from park-managed herds to Tribes over the past 30 years.

The Nature Conservancy also reports that its partnerships with the InterTribal Buffalo Council, Tanka Fund, and Indigenous communities have returned nearly 3,000 buffalo from 11 conservation herds to Native Nations and communities since 2020.

For many Indigenous Nations, buffalo are tied to food systems, ceremony, language, community responsibilities, and traditional knowledge. Restored herds can also support grassland stewardship and strengthen Tribal food sovereignty after generations in which buffalo were nearly eliminated from much of their historic range.

For the Fort Peck Tribes and many other Native Nations, these transfers are part of a long, careful process of bringing buffalo back to lands and communities where they have deep cultural and ecological significance.

What does seeing buffalo return to Tribal lands mean to you?



Sources: National Park Service; The Nature Conservancy; Greater Yellowstone Coalition; Park County Environmental Council

08/27/2026

📢 NOW HIRING: Technical Service Provider (TSP)

The InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC) is seeking a Technical Service Provider (TSP) to join our team in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Interested in joining ITBC and supporting our work with Tribal Nations and buffalo restoration?

Apply through Indeed to view the full job description, qualifications, and benefits.

You may also submit your resume and cover letter to [email protected]

Apply Here: https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=f9cab9c04595cd98&from=shareddesktop_copy

08/18/2026

Hello ITBC Members, Partners, and Supporters!

This is a reminder that our August Technical Services webinar is tomorrow Wednesday, August 19th, at 10a-11:30a MT / 11a - 12:30p CT! Join us for a discussion on buffalo nutrition with SDSU's Dr. Phil Urso!

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEFz-oaJ-swnQCbe_v5VuW1fXlQwPrTI8i_80aFX21Vvkx2A/viewform?usp=dialog

Dearest ITBC Members and Partners,

Please join us for a discussion on bison nutrition with Dr. Philip Urso of South Dakota State University!

The webinar will take place at 10 am MDT on August 19th, 2026.

Register for this webinar through the QR code or by following this link: https://forms.gle/XDu69oXSBRdR2C6s5

We hope to see you there!

08/04/2026

~ACTION ALERT~ Today, the United States Senate is finalizing the next Farm Bill, which is currently in its “markup” session until Thursday morning. That makes now your LAST CHANCE to reach out to your Senators (https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm) to encourage them to support our very modest request to have $5 million dedicated to bison herd health research to combat Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) and Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF). A quick message from you can make the difference between bison-specific health support for the next five years and another year of preventable losses.

07/17/2026

On June 29th and 30th, ITBC conducted the Region 4 Field Harvest Training, hosted by Taos Pueblo. The first day was spent in the classroom, where guest speakers discussed topics such as Tribal governance opportunities for food sovereignty, meat quality considerations, and the USDA Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA). Participants also learned about the new ITBC Mobile Harvest Unit Guide, a resource that opens up conversation around integrating traditional harvest elements with modern food safety protocols and efficiency through the use of a field harvesting unit, and had the opportunity to tour Taos Pueblo's processing facility. On the second day, participants put those lessons into practice, using Taos Pueblo's mobile harvest unit to field harvest a buffalo.

We want to extend a big thank you to our guest speakers from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Taos Pueblo Department of Natural Resources, Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, Flower Hill Institute, South Dakota State University Animal Science Department, New Mexico Department of Health, ITBC Southwest RCPP Director Beth Baragary, and ITBC contractors Lisa and Arlo Iron Cloud. We also want to thank Taos Pueblo for hosting the training. Everyone's support made this event possible!

If you would like to attend an ITBC Field Harvest Training, registration is still open for the Region 3 training in Hardin, MT. We hope to see you there!

Registration link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfunfRk84hzMSZgyNdY6GqSfY2uAkv8sAVI6uO4-AjYV59Y1g/viewform?usp=dialog

This project is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Tribal Relations.