Oklahoma Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe joined several of his colleagues to introduce a Senate version of the Indian Buffalo Management Act.
The bill would create a permanent buffalo restoration and management program within the U.S. Department of the Interior. The other sponsors are Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico and Tina Smith of Minnesota.
"The American buffalo is more than the state animal of Oklahoma — it is a respected and honored resource for Native American communities in Oklahoma and across the country," Inhofe said in a statement. "I’m proud to cosponsor the Indian Buffalo Management Act, which will empower tribes to manage buffalo population, conserve habitats and restore cultural ties to the American buffalo."
Buffalo programs have received piecemeal federal funding since the 1990s. Intertribal Buffalo Council President Ervin Carlson reminded a House committee last February the military systematically eliminated buffalo to eliminate Indians in the early 1800s.
"The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 guaranteed tribes access to buffalo so long as buffalo may range. Unfortunately, like many other treaty provisions, the federal government has failed to live up to this promise. However, adoption of the Indian Buffalo Management Act provides an opportunity for the federal government to honor this treaty provision," Carlson said.
Carlson told the same committee the ITBC has 69 member tribes trying to share whatever funding the federal government can scrape together.
"It comes to a very small amount where they can do very little year by year with their programs. So, with this bill and the addition, it could get the tribes up to a higher end, I guess, of being self-sufficient and getting their herds built up and their infrastructure built up," Carlson said.
Cherokee Nation is among the ITBC members, and Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a statement they're appreciative Inhofe agreed to cosponsor the legislation.
"We are dedicated to reestablishing our oral and cultural traditions that were once passed down regularly between generations and we therefore want to ensure that our buffalo herd has long term viability. The Indian Buffalo Management Act is a great step in that direction," Hoskin said.
Oklahoma U.S. Reps. Markwayne Mullin, Tom Cole and Stephanie Bice are sponsors on a House version of the bill.
ITBC member tribes have a collective herd of more than 20,000 buffalo.
The North American buffalo population was cut from more than 30 million in the early 1800s to around 500 at the start of the 20th century.
