NESPELEM, Wash. — As part of a larger conservation effort, 30 buffaloes were released on the Colville Reservation between Keller Ridge and Buffalo Lake.
This was a gift from the Kalispel tribe who had a surplus of buffalo on their reservation. The first 23 buffalo were released on Oct. 2, with an additional seven joining them the next day.
Of the 30 buffalo, 29 were female and one is a male. All of them have been vaccinated and are pure buffalo.
Buffalo are considered a key species because of their effect on other species within the same ecosystem. Their grazing helps birds create nests and their wallows can fill with water for drinking.
“Today, qʷisp (buffalo) return to part of their historic range. We are always happy and proud when we can take a step toward restoring our lands to their natural condition. The Colville Tribes wishes to thank the Kalispel Tribe, who gifted us these magnificent animals,” said Chairman of the Colville Confederated Tribes, Jarred-Michael Erickson. “We also thank the Biden-Harris administration for their financial support of our ecosystem and the buffalo.”
As a cornerstone of their ecosystems, tribal-led efforts to restore and strengthen buffalo herds were given support with a $5 million initiative approved by the Department of the Interior.
“Through historic funding from the Biden-Harris Administration, we can support tribes in maintaining herds of buffalo,” Secretary for Indian Affairs, Bryan Newland, said. “These herds are central to tribes’ cultural, spiritual and nutritional traditions. They also preserve the ecosystem that sustain both bison and tribal communities.”
