Indian Buffalo Management Act Affirms Trust Responsibility, Food Sovereignty for Indigenous Peoples

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Indian Buffalo Management Act, introduced by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D - N.M.) and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R - Okla.), affirms the federal government's trust obligation to support management of buffalo and their habitat on Tribal lands. The bill directs the Department of the Interior to consult and collaborate with Tribes and Tribal organizations in the restoration of the species and underscores the significance of buffalo as a subsistence right for Tribes.

"Buffalo are a treaty right afforded to Tribes in support of food sovereignty and self-determination. This bill recognizes the federal government's trust obligation to build capacity and access to buffalo on Tribal lands," said Jason Baldes, senior Tribal buffalo program manager for the National Wildlife Federation. "We're working toward large scale restoration of buffalo across even larger landscapes, and the Indian Buffalo Management Act prioritizes the cross collaboration needed to amplify that effort."