1
00:00:14,433 --> 00:01:28,766
♪

2
00:01:28,766 --> 00:01:39,833
♪

3
00:01:39,833 --> 00:01:46,766
♪

4
00:01:46,766 --> 00:01:48,666
Female reporter: The city 
of Denver has again given bison

5
00:01:48,666 --> 00:01:51,600
from its mountain park 
to tribal nations.

6
00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:53,633
Denver used to auction off 
the animals to keep

7
00:01:53,633 --> 00:01:56,633
the herd healthy, but in 2021, 
it made the decision

8
00:01:56,633 --> 00:01:59,600
to give the buffalo 
to indigenous lands.

9
00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:05,866
♪

10
00:02:05,866 --> 00:02:07,933
City of Denver Speaker: 
Next, I'd like to introduce

11
00:02:07,933 --> 00:02:11,033
Jason Baldes 
from the Eastern Shoshone

12
00:02:11,033 --> 00:02:13,833
and senior tribal buffalo 
program manager

13
00:02:13,833 --> 00:02:16,700
and also a board member of 
the InterTribal Buffalo Council.

14
00:02:16,700 --> 00:02:18,766
[Applause] 
Jason Baldes: Good morning.

15
00:02:18,766 --> 00:02:20,766
[Speaks Shoshone] 
I want to say good morning

16
00:02:20,766 --> 00:02:23,666
to each and every one of you. 
Thank you all for coming.

17
00:02:23,666 --> 00:02:27,000
I want to thank 
the city of Denver.

18
00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,833
I'm really pleased to be part 
of tribal buffalo restoration

19
00:02:29,833 --> 00:02:31,833
and how important it is 
for our people.

20
00:02:31,833 --> 00:02:33,833
Thank you very much. 
Good morning.

21
00:02:33,833 --> 00:02:35,733
[Applause, drum beats thrice]

22
00:02:35,733 --> 00:02:41,433
♪

23
00:02:41,433 --> 00:02:42,833
Voice-over: 
My name's Jason Baldes.

24
00:02:42,833 --> 00:02:44,866
I'm a member 
of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe,

25
00:02:44,866 --> 00:02:48,900
and I'm a board member of 
the InterTribal Buffalo Council.

26
00:02:48,900 --> 00:02:51,700
♪

27
00:02:51,700 --> 00:02:54,666
[Distant drum beating, 
men chanting in native language]

28
00:02:54,666 --> 00:02:58,033
Jason: Every time you make 
eye contact with a buffalo,

29
00:02:58,033 --> 00:02:59,733
it's telling you something.

30
00:02:59,733 --> 00:03:02,833
They know a lot more than we 
give them credit for.

31
00:03:02,833 --> 00:03:04,733
[Drum-beating, 
chanting continue]

32
00:03:04,733 --> 00:03:17,766
♪

33
00:03:17,766 --> 00:03:19,733
[People trilling]

34
00:03:19,733 --> 00:03:22,033
[Trailer clanging]

35
00:03:24,733 --> 00:03:31,900
♪

36
00:03:31,900 --> 00:03:34,233
[Overlapping chatter]

37
00:03:34,233 --> 00:03:35,800
Whoa. Ha ha!

38
00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,233
They're all fuzzy! 
They are.

39
00:03:38,233 --> 00:03:40,900
I'm naming this one... 
Boo Boo.

40
00:03:40,900 --> 00:03:43,766
Boo Boo? 
Seriously? Boo Boo?

41
00:03:43,766 --> 00:03:47,600
So Arapaho signature 
for those ones. 
OK.

42
00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:49,066
[Overlapping chatter]

43
00:03:49,066 --> 00:03:49,733
What's that?

44
00:03:49,733 --> 00:03:52,100
Okey-doke. 
OK. Yeah.

45
00:03:52,100 --> 00:03:53,566
All right. George?

46
00:03:53,566 --> 00:03:54,333
Great seeing you. 
Come see us.

47
00:03:54,333 --> 00:03:56,233
Very good 
to see you again.

48
00:03:56,233 --> 00:03:56,933
Thank you very much. 
Good to see you again.

49
00:03:56,933 --> 00:03:59,900
Yeah. 
Be safe, be safe.

50
00:03:59,900 --> 00:04:16,833
♪

51
00:04:16,833 --> 00:04:18,900
Jason: 
Prior to colonization,

52
00:04:18,900 --> 00:04:21,966
buffalo was 
our life's commissary

53
00:04:21,966 --> 00:04:22,800
for many of our tribes.

54
00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:24,800
It was our food, 
our clothing,

55
00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,800
our shelter, 
but also central

56
00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,733
to our cultural, 
spiritual belief systems.

57
00:04:31,733 --> 00:04:33,800
So it's been missing 
for a long period of time,

58
00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,133
and so, you know, 
to restore that animal

59
00:04:37,133 --> 00:04:39,966
to our communities means 
that we can begin to heal

60
00:04:39,966 --> 00:04:42,966
from atrocities 
of the past, from,

61
00:04:42,966 --> 00:04:45,033
you know, 
loss of land, loss of culture,

62
00:04:45,033 --> 00:04:45,900
loss of language.

63
00:04:45,900 --> 00:04:49,300
It's foundational 
to who we are.

64
00:04:49,300 --> 00:04:51,833
♪

65
00:04:51,833 --> 00:04:59,200
♪

66
00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:13,900
♪

67
00:05:13,900 --> 00:05:18,200
Jason: We're here on the 
Wind River Indian Reservation.

68
00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,933
The Shoshone Tribe's 
buffalo are here.

69
00:05:20,933 --> 00:05:35,700
♪

70
00:05:35,700 --> 00:05:37,866
[Drum beating]

71
00:05:41,966 --> 00:05:44,366
[Chanting]

72
00:05:49,033 --> 00:05:50,966
[Others join in chanting]

73
00:05:50,966 --> 00:07:14,166
♪

74
00:07:14,166 --> 00:07:17,433
[Drum-beating and chanting fade]

75
00:07:22,333 --> 00:07:26,000
Jason: We started with 300 acres 
for the Shoshone Tribe.

76
00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,200
We've been able to raise 
the dollars to buy back land

77
00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:33,833
to make it 2,000 acres here 
for the Shoshone Tribe.

78
00:07:33,833 --> 00:07:35,166
The Arapaho buffalo 
are on a thousand acres

79
00:07:35,166 --> 00:07:37,033
south of the river.

80
00:07:37,033 --> 00:07:41,433
The goal is to continually 
reacquire these lands

81
00:07:41,433 --> 00:07:44,233
that were illegitimately taken 
in the first place,

82
00:07:44,233 --> 00:07:47,333
when our reservation 
was opened up for homesteading.

83
00:07:47,333 --> 00:07:50,500
Takes millions of dollars 
to buy back these lands now,

84
00:07:50,500 --> 00:07:54,766
but we can rematriate them, 
get them back,

85
00:07:54,766 --> 00:07:57,166
restored to the tribes, 
as opposed to seeing

86
00:07:57,166 --> 00:07:59,733
our lands continue 
to diminish.

87
00:08:02,833 --> 00:08:05,833
We now have 
over 150 buffalo collectively

88
00:08:05,833 --> 00:08:09,233
between the two tribes 
and then established

89
00:08:09,233 --> 00:08:12,066
the Wind River Tribal 
Buffalo Initiative to be

90
00:08:12,066 --> 00:08:15,400
a local face here 
to raise money to buy land,

91
00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,266
and then also help facilitate

92
00:08:17,266 --> 00:08:20,600
the cultural, educational,

93
00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:22,133
nutritional reconnection

94
00:08:22,133 --> 00:08:27,066
of youth and community 
to buffalo.

95
00:08:28,266 --> 00:08:30,266
It wasn't our goal to feed,

96
00:08:30,266 --> 00:08:33,066
but because of the tough winter, 
and because we are on

97
00:08:33,066 --> 00:08:35,933
a limited landscape, 
we have to do that.

98
00:08:35,933 --> 00:08:38,900
But the goal would be-- 
is, down the road,

99
00:08:38,900 --> 00:08:42,266
if we restore them to larger 
landscapes, that they can exist

100
00:08:42,266 --> 00:08:45,233
on their own 
without intervention of man

101
00:08:45,233 --> 00:08:48,566
or genetically 
manipulating them

102
00:08:48,566 --> 00:08:51,566
or ranching them, 
that this is an opportunity

103
00:08:51,566 --> 00:08:55,266
to see something different, 
see them protected

104
00:08:55,266 --> 00:08:57,166
under tribal law,

105
00:08:57,166 --> 00:08:59,900
but also exist 
as a wildlife species

106
00:08:59,900 --> 00:09:02,266
on the landscape, 
where they can effectively

107
00:09:02,266 --> 00:09:05,266
create ecological change.

108
00:09:06,300 --> 00:09:10,000
We have tremendous 
wildlife habitat potential

109
00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,200
on this reservation, 
perhaps more than many,

110
00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:17,166
and so buffalo fits 
right into that picture.

111
00:09:17,166 --> 00:09:20,000
It's the only one missing

112
00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:21,300
from the landscape 
on this reservation

113
00:09:21,300 --> 00:09:24,300
that was here 
before Lewis and Clark arrived.

114
00:09:24,300 --> 00:09:27,533
A lot of this work 
that drives me

115
00:09:27,533 --> 00:09:29,500
goes back to being a kid

116
00:09:29,500 --> 00:09:32,466
and hunting with my dad,

117
00:09:32,466 --> 00:09:35,933
talking about why 
we can't hunt buffalo.

118
00:09:37,166 --> 00:09:40,633
My dad was a biologist, 
and I went on a trip

119
00:09:40,633 --> 00:09:43,466
with him to Africa, 
into Kenya

120
00:09:43,466 --> 00:09:46,633
and Tanzania and Uganda 
and witnessed

121
00:09:46,633 --> 00:09:49,133
the wildebeest migration.

122
00:09:49,133 --> 00:09:54,166
That was kind of 
an epiphany for me.

123
00:09:54,166 --> 00:09:58,633
So when I returned home, 
I had a newfound appreciation,

124
00:09:58,633 --> 00:10:01,466
I think, for my home 
and my people,

125
00:10:01,466 --> 00:10:05,133
my community, 
and realized

126
00:10:05,133 --> 00:10:08,466
I needed 
a science background

127
00:10:08,466 --> 00:10:10,133
to gain 
the academic credentials

128
00:10:10,133 --> 00:10:14,133
to focus on tribal 
buffalo restoration.

129
00:10:14,133 --> 00:10:18,500
And so it's always been 
a vision of mine,

130
00:10:18,500 --> 00:10:21,166
is to be able to hunt 
buffalo with my dad,

131
00:10:21,166 --> 00:10:25,033
my sons, my grandkids

132
00:10:25,033 --> 00:10:28,466
in a way that was taken 
from us.

133
00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:34,633
You know, that buffalo was gone 
for a bit over a hundred years,

134
00:10:34,633 --> 00:10:37,300
but that's 
a small window of time

135
00:10:37,300 --> 00:10:39,233
compared to the millennia 
that we've had

136
00:10:39,233 --> 00:10:42,633
the relationship 
with this animal.

137
00:10:42,633 --> 00:10:44,566
It's in our DNA.

138
00:10:44,566 --> 00:10:50,333
♪

139
00:10:50,333 --> 00:10:52,300
[Engine rumbling]

140
00:10:52,300 --> 00:10:56,400
♪

141
00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,333
Most of America has been 
plowed up,

142
00:10:59,333 --> 00:11:02,633
paved over, fenced in, 
fenced out,

143
00:11:02,633 --> 00:11:05,200
and so, you know, 
what happened to the buffalo

144
00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,233
similarly happened 
to Native American people.

145
00:11:10,233 --> 00:11:12,366
We're now on remnants 
of our once former

146
00:11:12,366 --> 00:11:15,400
vast territories, 
and that's a history

147
00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:20,200
that, you know, American people 
need to understand.

148
00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:30,033
♪

149
00:11:30,033 --> 00:11:32,366
[Indistinct chatter]

150
00:11:32,366 --> 00:11:34,966
OK. 
Ha ha!

151
00:11:34,966 --> 00:11:37,366
Jason: Our people, 
we're still suffering.

152
00:11:37,366 --> 00:11:39,200
We have, you know, 
high rates of diabetes

153
00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,200
and heart disease and other 
health-related issues

154
00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,866
from the removal of buffalo 
from our diet.

155
00:11:49,533 --> 00:11:52,533
Woman: 
These are buffalo roasts

156
00:11:52,533 --> 00:11:57,400
that we smoked for probably 
about six hours.

157
00:11:57,400 --> 00:11:59,600
Native people started 
to starve to death

158
00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,333
because they wiped out 
our buffalo, they, you know,

159
00:12:02,333 --> 00:12:05,300
pretty much wiped out one 
of the most important staples

160
00:12:05,300 --> 00:12:09,300
in our diet, you know, 
for Plains Indians,

161
00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:11,433
and so...

162
00:12:11,433 --> 00:12:16,133
they decided at that time, 
you know, to bring in rations,

163
00:12:16,133 --> 00:12:19,300
and that was flour

164
00:12:19,300 --> 00:12:22,133
and lard and coffee, sugar.

165
00:12:22,133 --> 00:12:24,433
And so

166
00:12:24,433 --> 00:12:28,100
that's what the Indians 
started to eat

167
00:12:28,100 --> 00:12:31,466
because that's all they had, 
and so that's when,

168
00:12:31,466 --> 00:12:35,300
I believe, that was 
the beginning of the end

169
00:12:35,300 --> 00:12:38,166
for our health 
as Native people

170
00:12:38,166 --> 00:12:40,366
because they took that part 
of our life away.

171
00:12:40,366 --> 00:12:43,266
They stripped it from us, 
and that's why what Jason's

172
00:12:43,266 --> 00:12:46,600
doing is important, 
because it's bringing back

173
00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:52,033
some of those ways that we can 
learn to thrive on again.

174
00:12:52,433 --> 00:12:55,700
Jason: The InterTribal 
Buffalo Council now has

175
00:12:55,700 --> 00:12:58,500
83 member tribes 
across the country.

176
00:12:58,500 --> 00:13:01,366
That organization 
is 30 years old

177
00:13:01,366 --> 00:13:03,700
and has restored 
25,000 buffalo

178
00:13:03,700 --> 00:13:06,666
to 65 herds in 20 states.

179
00:13:06,666 --> 00:13:16,633
♪

180
00:13:19,866 --> 00:13:22,766
[People trilling]

181
00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,666
♪

182
00:13:28,666 --> 00:13:32,866
Jason: A lot 
of ITBC's work has 
been to lobby in DC

183
00:13:32,866 --> 00:13:35,700
for more federal support.

184
00:13:35,700 --> 00:13:38,766
We're also working closely 
with the Department of Interior

185
00:13:38,766 --> 00:13:42,700
and USDA on things 
like making it easier

186
00:13:42,700 --> 00:13:45,700
to get buffalo into 
our federally funded programs

187
00:13:45,700 --> 00:13:49,200
and schools, to have 
our own tribal meat inspectors

188
00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:51,500
that can do the federal 
meat inspection

189
00:13:51,500 --> 00:13:54,500
so that we can get, 
you know, certified meat

190
00:13:54,500 --> 00:13:58,666
back into our programs.

191
00:13:59,833 --> 00:14:02,233
[Birds chirping]

192
00:14:02,233 --> 00:14:05,666
Mention those herds 
managed by DOI.

193
00:14:05,666 --> 00:14:07,566
Jason, voice-over: Restoring 
that buffalo is foundational

194
00:14:07,566 --> 00:14:09,433
to who we are,

195
00:14:09,433 --> 00:14:13,433
and so many tribes 
have that in common.

196
00:14:13,433 --> 00:14:16,500
I encouraged Menominee 
to join up as a member tribe

197
00:14:16,500 --> 00:14:19,566
of the InterTribal 
Buffalo Council,

198
00:14:19,566 --> 00:14:21,400
and they did.

199
00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:25,666
You know, these guys, they got 
together, these young men,

200
00:14:25,666 --> 00:14:29,733
and found the resources 
to put up the infrastructure

201
00:14:29,733 --> 00:14:33,400
that they needed, and we were 
able to get some animals,

202
00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:35,266
10 buffalo,

203
00:14:35,266 --> 00:14:37,233
to come here 
today.

204
00:14:37,233 --> 00:14:38,433
I was able to 
fit it in

205
00:14:38,433 --> 00:14:41,233
my schedule 
to be here

206
00:14:41,233 --> 00:14:43,566
for the release 
and come up

207
00:14:43,566 --> 00:14:45,433
and see my new 
Menominee relatives.

208
00:14:45,433 --> 00:14:51,233
[All singing 
in native language]

209
00:14:51,233 --> 00:14:54,766
Man: We're here to witness 
the rebirth of a relationship

210
00:14:54,766 --> 00:14:58,433
with a relative of ours, 
the [speaks Menominee]

211
00:14:58,433 --> 00:15:01,800
in our language, 
the buffalo in English,

212
00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,800
that we've had 
for thousands of years,

213
00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:07,800
and we'll welcome them 
back here to our land,

214
00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:09,533
you know, 
welcome them home.

215
00:15:09,533 --> 00:15:12,466
[Singing continues]

216
00:15:13,666 --> 00:15:15,833
I don't know. 
It's been a long time.

217
00:15:15,833 --> 00:15:19,633
I don't even know if there is 
a memory of it anymore.

218
00:15:19,633 --> 00:15:22,533
It's been so far-removed 
from our people,

219
00:15:22,533 --> 00:15:25,800
but today, November 12th,

220
00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:27,900
is the day we're going 
to celebrate.

221
00:15:27,900 --> 00:15:30,300
[Singing continues]

222
00:15:39,633 --> 00:15:41,466
Man: Want to say that I'm 
grateful for the brothers

223
00:15:41,466 --> 00:15:44,466
and the people that got 
to come here and help

224
00:15:44,466 --> 00:15:48,466
and support and be able

225
00:15:48,466 --> 00:15:50,800
to help make this, um,

226
00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,800
make this here happen today,

227
00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:55,566
so I'm real grateful

228
00:15:55,566 --> 00:15:58,633
and honored 
to be here, so--

229
00:15:58,633 --> 00:16:01,266
but I want you to know 
I love each and every one

230
00:16:01,266 --> 00:16:02,700
of you guys 
and thank you so much.

231
00:16:02,700 --> 00:16:03,633
We love you.

232
00:16:03,633 --> 00:16:07,033
[All whooping]

233
00:16:07,033 --> 00:16:13,533
♪

234
00:16:13,533 --> 00:16:16,366
[Whooping continues]

235
00:16:16,366 --> 00:16:19,400
♪

236
00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:21,300
Jason: I cried.

237
00:16:21,300 --> 00:16:24,700
It was as emotional 
today for me

238
00:16:24,700 --> 00:16:28,533
as it was when we Shoshone 
received our first animals.

239
00:16:28,533 --> 00:16:31,566
Like, when that first hoof hits 
the ground and you can see

240
00:16:31,566 --> 00:16:34,900
that footprint, it's like 
you finally realize

241
00:16:34,900 --> 00:16:37,900
that they're home and they 
won't ever leave again.

242
00:16:37,900 --> 00:16:39,700
And so it's like that-- 
it was like that today.

243
00:16:39,700 --> 00:16:43,033
We--I shed a few tears.

244
00:16:43,033 --> 00:16:45,400
It was very emotional.

245
00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,733
I know exactly how 
they feel,

246
00:16:47,733 --> 00:16:49,700
and to know 
that their future

247
00:16:49,700 --> 00:16:52,900
is gonna...

248
00:16:52,900 --> 00:16:54,900
this changes their future 
and the direction

249
00:16:54,900 --> 00:16:57,866
that they can go, 
and they're just gonna--

250
00:16:57,866 --> 00:17:00,933
they're just gonna get better.

251
00:17:00,933 --> 00:17:26,933
♪

252
00:17:26,933 --> 00:17:29,600
[Closing theme music playing]

253
00:17:29,600 --> 00:18:27,933
♪