Viewpoint: Attack on buffalo is an attack on tribal sovereignty

Jason Belcourt

The BLM’s recent decision to revoke American Prairie’s bison grazing permits is more than a bureaucratic action. It is a direct blow to the future of tribal food sovereignty, tribal land access, and the inherent rights of Indigenous nations to steward the lands that were taken from us. It is a reminder that, in 2026, federal officials and the State of Montana still struggle to accept that tribal nations are sovereign governments—not interest groups to be managed.

For tribes across Montana, buffalo are not livestock. They are relatives. They are teachers. They are central to our health, our identity, and our survival. When the state targets buffalo restoration—whether on American Prairie lands or tribal lands—it is targeting Indigenous resurgence itself.

The Real Issue: Control Over Land and Who Gets to Decide

The actions by the BLM and the State Land Board are not just about American Prairie. It is about who has the right to decide how land is used.

For decades, tribes have relied on the ability to lease land—state, federal, and private—to rebuild herds, expand food systems, and restore ecosystems damaged by a century of extractive agriculture. When the state revokes grazing rights for buffalo, it sends a chilling message: If tribes or conservation partners use land in ways the state dislikes, those rights can be taken away.

This is not hypothetical. Tribes across Montana have already faced:

- sudden restrictions on grazing leases

- political pressure to limit buffalo expansion

-  inconsistent permitting decisions

-  state interference in wildlife management

These actions undermine the very foundation of tribal sovereignty: the right to govern our own food systems, our own lands, and our own futures.

Buffalo Are Central to Tribal Food Sovereignty

Food sovereignty is not a slogan. It is the right of Indigenous peoples to define our own food systems—what we grow, what we harvest, what we raise, and how we feed our people.

Buffalo restoration is one of the most successful Indigenous-led food sovereignty movements in North America. Buffalo provide:

- nutrient dense, culturally grounded food

- sustainable grazing that restores prairie ecosystems

- economic opportunities for tribal ranchers

- youth programs and cultural education

- community health benefits

When Montana blocks buffalo grazing, it is blocking tribal nations from feeding ourselves in the way our ancestors intended. This is not just a policy dispute. It is a public health issue. It is a cultural survival issue. It is a sovereignty issue.

BLM’s Decision Sets a Dangerous Precedent

If the federal government can revoke grazing rights for buffalo on American Prairie lands today, what stops it from revoking tribal leases tomorrow? What stops it from:

- restricting tribal buffalo herds

- limiting tribal access to state lands-

- interfering with tribal wildlife programs

- undermining tribal conservation partnerships

This is why tribes across Montana—Chippewa Cree, Blackfeet, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, Crow, Northern Cheyenne—should see this decision as a warning.

The state is signaling that Indigenous land use is acceptable only when it aligns with non-Native political interests. That is not sovereignty. That is conditional permission.

Buffalo Restoration Is a Path Forward—Not a Threat

The fear being spread about buffalo is rooted in outdated myths and political pressure from a small but loud minority. The truth is clear:

- Buffalo do not threaten cattle markets.

- Buffalo grazing improves soil health and water retention.

- Buffalo herds attract tourism and economic development.

- Buffalo restoration is supported by science, history, and Indigenous knowledge.

Most importantly, buffalo restoration is a path toward healing—of land, of people, and of
relationships between tribal and nontribal communities. Montana should be embracing that future, not fighting it.

A Call to Action

Tepiniwew, Inc. stands with all tribal nations working to restore buffalo and rebuild Indigenous food systems. We call on Montana to:

1. Respect tribal sovereignty in all land-use decisions.
2. Protect tribal access to grazing leases without political interference.
3. Recognize buffalo as cultural and ecological relatives, not livestock.
4. Work with tribes—not against us—to build a sustainable future.

Buffalo restoration is not a threat to Montana. It is a gift. It is a chance to repair the land and honor the first peoples of this place. Montana can choose partnership. Or it can choose conflict.

But tribal nations will continue restoring buffalo—with or without the state’s permission—because our sovereignty does not come from Helena. It comes from our ancestors, our treaties, and our inherent rights as Indigenous nations.

Jason Belcourt, Tepiniwew executive director and enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree of Rocky Boy.