CUSICK, Wash. — Earlier this week, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians gifted 10 buffalo to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
The Kalispel Tribe said it gifted 30 buffalo to the Colville Tribe last year to help restore buffalo in the area.
The Kalispel Tribe said the buffalo will help the Colville Tribe's existing herd, giving necessary support for both habitat restoration and cultural practices.
“The Kalispel Tribe has worked diligently over the years to build a robust buffalo program on our reservation near Cusick,” Derrick Bluff, Director of the Kalispel Agriculture Department, said. “Our herd has flourished, which allows for opportunities to share buffalo with other tribes.”
For the Kalispel Tribe and other Indigenous communities, buffalo symbolize resilience and sustenance.
“For generations, we have shared resources and knowledge with other tribes as a natural extension of our commitment to supporting Indigenous communities and preserving cultural heritage,” Curt Holmes, Vice-Chairman of the Kalispel Tribal Council, said. “The buffalo represent resilience and balance within ecosystems, and we are honored to see them thrive on our lands and now on the Colville Reservation.”
