Eastern Shoshone Tribal Buffalo Herd welcomes 10 new buffalo home

A steady drumbeat fills the chilly air, traveling over the sagebrush-covered hills and riparian valleys of the Eastern Shoshone Buffalo Herd pasture. The snow-capped mountains of the Wind River Range line the horizon, ready to welcome their relatives back to the land. 

The metal gate of the holding pasture clangs as all that separates 10 buffalo from their new home on the Wind River Indian Reservation is opened wide. After a moment of hesitation, the first buffalo takes off across the pasture, followed not long after by the nine others. The buffalo are home. 

Buffalo of the Eastern Shoshone Tribal Herd dot the landscape on the Wind River Indian Reservation. (Photo GYC/Signa McAdams)  

These 10 new buffalo – descendants of Yellowstone buffalo – bring the Eastern Shoshone Tribal Herd to 99 strong. As part of the InterTribal Buffalo Council, the Eastern Shoshone Tribe received these bison from the Fort Peck Reservation.

“It’s nice to see them. I hope the herd keeps growing and gets more land. Hopefully they can make it up to the mountains,” Eastern Shoshone Tribal member Chuck Washakie said as he watched the young buffalo make their way to the herd.

Before 2016, buffalo were absent from the Wind River Indian Reservation for over a century. As part of GYC’s role within the Water and Buffalo Alliance, we are working with the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative to support their vision to restore 1,000 buffalo across 100,000 acres of the Wind River Indian Reservation.

“The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes have a long history of conservation successes fighting to protect our lands, waters, and wildlife. By establishing the first wilderness area, protecting wildlife with the Tribal game code, fighting for water rights for fisheries, and passing comprehensive management plans to protect wolves and bears on the reservation; the Tribes have a vested interest to protect what little we have left. Restoring the connection to buffalo is one step closer to protecting the things that were taken from us,” said Jason Baldes, the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative’s executive director.

Community members gather to watch as 10 new buffalo join the Eastern Shoshone Tribal Buffalo Herd on the Wind River Indian Reservation. (Photo GYC/Signa McAdams) 

Standing among the crowd gathered to watch these buffalo be welcomed home, I was reminded of how many incredible people are working to restore buffalo and why we do the work we do.

Join us and our dedicated community of advocates or consider donating to help us bring buffalo home to the Wind River Indian Reservation.

—Signa McAdams, Wind River Conservation Organizer