Buffalo Restoration
Dear Friends and Family,
I am writing to ask for help about some serious problems that are close to my heart.
Sarah and I were not sure that we wanted to have kids. Looking at the problems of climate change, loss of species diversity, our increasing disconnection from the natural world, and ongoing injustices, this was a daunting prospect. When we decided to have kids it was a decision to hope. That hope has turned to joy and heightened both my appreciation for life and my fears about the future of our planet. Hope alone is not enough, so I am getting more involved in efforts to address these problems.
This has led Sarah and me to start farming at our place using regenerative techniques and permaculture principles and engage with the indigenous wisdom and traditions that permaculture seeks to replicate. We grow fruit, nuts, and vegetables and raise chickens for meat and eggs. The chickens help us add carbon to the soil, making it more fertile and better able to store water. This is one of the many ways we are making personal choices to address climate change and loss of species diversity. In our short four years here we have already seen an increase in the number and kinds of native birds and insects on our property and a decrease in some invasive pests. This is a good indication we are fostering a healthier ecosystem.
I am also really excited about the Bison restoration work by the National Wildlife Federation’s Tribal Partnerships Program, an effort to bring Bison back to their historic range on the Great Plains. The current methods of farming in this region cause a loss of fertility and biodiversity in the soil which releases stored carbon and does not hold runoff as well as healthy soil does. This makes both flooding and droughts worse.
Bison are a keystone species whose historic range went from Canada to Mexico, from the west coast to nearly the east coast from sea level to alpine. The majority of what is now the United States was their habitat. The way they graze and roam addresses climate change, soil health, and species biodiversity. Bison are also a key part of the cultural heritage and relationship with the world for native peoples of the Great Plains; they were life’s commissary. The Tribal Bison restoration is an ongoing effort spanning decades to help tribes who identify as the Buffalo People regain aspects of their culture and restore biodiversity in this area. The healing potential of this project fills me with hope like few things in my awareness. If you would like to read more about how Buffalo change the soil, increase plant and animal biodiversity, and the positive effects of this, you may be interested in reading Holistic Management and Buffalo for the Broken Heart, referenced below.
Here is a great short film about the project: Boy-zshan Bi-den (Buffalo Return)
The scope and urgency of the climate crisis and the related global loss of biodiversity demand action on all fronts from all of us. Personal choices, directly acting on the issues, and pursuing policy change are all important. There are two bills, outlined below, that have been proposed in Congress that would make important policy shifts toward conservation and start some long delayed reparations to Native Americans. Please consider contacting your representatives and asking for their co-sponsorship. I have included a template for an email you may use.
Donating directly to the Tribal Partnerships Program is another great way to help. If you are going to donate money to the National Wildlife Federations (NWF) Tribal Partnerships Program please let me know and I will work with Andrea Auguiste, the Director of Regional Philanthropy, and Jason Baldes, Tribal Buffalo Coordinator on the Wind River Reservation, to make sure that money you donate gets to this specific program.
I have thought a lot about climate change and how we can heal these hurts. Some reading that has shaped a lot of my thinking includes Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer, Holistic Management by Allan Savory, Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner, Buffalo for the Broken Heart by Dan O'Brien, and a blog by Chris Newman https://medium.com/@cnative100.
I am happy to share my hope, joy and knowledge about these solutions to climate change with you, so please get in touch if you would like to know more about any of this.
Thanks!
Hunter Teets
Hunter.Teets@gmail.com
303-718-6482
The Indian Buffalo Management Act:
This bill establishes a permanent program within the Department of the Interior to develop and promote tribal ownership and management of buffalo and buffalo habitat on Indian lands.
Specifically, the bill requires Interior to (1) enter into contracts, award grants, and provide technical assistance to Indian tribes and tribal organizations for activities related to buffalo restoration or management; (2) consult with tribes and tribal organizations on initiatives that affect buffalo or buffalo habitat, including efforts to contain or eradicate diseased buffalo; and (3) develop a policy relating to buffalo and buffalo habitat management activities on Indian land.
Additionally, Interior may enter into agreements with tribes or tribal organizations to transport surplus buffalo from federal land onto Indian land.
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2019
This bill provides funding for (1) the conservation or restoration of wildlife and plant species of greatest conservation need; (2) the wildlife conservation strategies of states, Indian tribes, or territories; or (3) wildlife conservation education and recreation projects.
The Department of the Interior must use a portion of the funding for a grant program. The grants must be used for innovative recovery efforts for species of greatest conservation need, species listed as endangered or threatened species, or the habitats of such species.
The Honorable ____________________________
House (or Senate) Office Building
Washington, DC 20515 (20510)
Dear Congressperson/Senator ______________:
As a constituent who votes, I am writing about two connected issues that are very important to me: climate change and justice for Native Americans. Specifically, I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor these two bills: Indian Buffalo Management Act and Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2019
I am growing increasingly concerned for the world we are leaving to future generations and the slow way that climate change and justice for Native Americans are being addressed.
These two bills are a step in the right direction on these urgent issues.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Your name
Your address
Written by Hunter Teets.
