Bison Month and the Buffalo Treaty

The latest news from Ron & T of The Buffalo Wool Co. at RATH Ranch. Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

Happy Bison Month!!

Just a quickie today... honestly, I am pretty much out of witty and funny stuff, turns out 31 newsletters in a month are more than anyone of my caliber should do, but I like challenging myself to do silly stuff. I am probably more surprised than you that it got done... well, almost, just two more. Have some good ones coming up too. Thank you for sticking with us on this.

Dad has made it to Alaska, but before he left, he wrote todays piece, and is probably standing in a cool river throwing flies at fish. Me I am trying to get the really hot tractor out of the front yard where I got it stuck Monday... fun times, and we will see if we have a new permanent yarn ornament or what.

Do have a couple of production notes on products, the new Pro-gear boot socks are in, and feel much better than the last run, they are also slightly taller than all the ones we have made in the past... about 2" overall. The new run of Kenai are also a bit taller maybe 1"... but the new color is more like what we had intended, an olive drab vs the muted green. We still have a few of the lighter green ones mostly large, and have only gotten the new color in XL and Med so far..

Y'all have done an amazing job of helping us get stuff moved out for July (which is where most of our production bills come due), and I know we have hit you very hard this month. Truly appreciate all you guys do to help us on this crazy mission.

Hope you had a wonderful day

Ron & T, and the crew here at the BWC

Buffalo Treaty:

Leroy Little Bear: Retired Professor Emeritus at the University of Lethbridge, founding director of the Native American Program at Harvard University, founding member of Canada’s first Native American Studies Department. He is also the founder and President of the International Buffalo Relations Institute.

He was one of the first First Nations people to graduate from the University of Lethbridge with a BA in 1971 as well as completing a Juris Doctor Degree at the University of Utah College of Law in 1975. While he has received close to an uncountable number of awards and recognition, what we find one of his most important was his role in “co-instigated and authored” the Buffalo Treaty.

Not familiar with, or know about the Buffalo Treaty? Well, it’s about time you do. The Buffalo Treaty: Comprised of 9 very simply worded Articles, the Buffalo Treaty was originally signed in, 2014 by 9 tribal entities both in Canada and the US. From their website: SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 The Buffalo Treaty is born

On September 24, 2014, eight Nations came together at the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana to sign the Buffalo Treaty — the first cross-border Indigenous-led treaty in more than 150 years. This landmark moment created a shared vision to bring buffalo back to the land, the people, and Indigenous lifeways.

Inaugural Signatory Nations were: Blackfeet Nation, Kainai/Blood Tribe, Siksika Nation, Piikani Nation, Assiniboine & Gros Ventre Tribes (Fort Belknap), Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes (Fort Peck), Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and Tsuut’ina Nation.

Since then, more than 40 total signatories have pledged support and agreed to follow the core tenant and strengthen the Eight Articles that “are” the Buffalo Treaty.

Those 8 Articles are:

Article I – Conservation

Article II – Culture

Article III – Economics

Article IV – Health

Article V – Education

Article VI – Research

Article VII – Adhesion

Article VII – Partnerships and Supporters

(Article XI – Amendments)

The Treaty itself is so simplistic and well drafted; no lawyerese or political double speak; that is the mark of Dr. Little Bear.

The Treaty actually begins: “Relationship to the Buffalo” Since time immemorial, hundreds of generations of the first peoples of the FIRST NATIONS of North America have come and gone since before and after the melting of the glaciers that covered North America. For those generations, BUFFALO has been our relative. BUFFALO is part of us and WE are part of BUFFALO culturally, materially, and spiritually. Our on-going relationship is so close and so embodied in us that Buffalo is the essence of our holistic eco-cultural life-ways.”

It continues: “Purpose and Objective of the Treaty”

To honor, recognize, and revitalize the time immemorial relationship we have with BUFFALO, it is the collective intention of WE, the undersigned NATIONS, to welcome BUFFALO to once again live among us as CREATOR intended by doing everything within our means so WE and BUFFALO will once again live together to nurture each other culturally and spiritually. It is our collective intention to recognize BUFFALO as a wild free-ranging animal and as an important part of the ecological system; to provide a safe space and environment across our historic homelands, on both sides of the United States and the Canadian border, so together WE can have our brother, the BUFFALO, lead us in nurturing our land, plants and other animals to once again realize THE BUFFALO WAYS for our future generations.”

The actual title of the document? THE BUFFALO: a Treaty of Cooperation, Renewal and Restoration. In an October 8, 2019 National Parks Conservation Association press release, another of the true and dear friends of the bison community, Jason Baldez said of the Buffalo Treaty: “The herd has grown. The work now is to create more space and make more of our lands available for them to exist on, and to grow a population to a sustainable level where we can begin harvesting them again."

"We can begin utilizing them in ceremonies, have an education program to work with our youth, bring our elders together with our young people, and to reinvigorate our language to learn about how we use all the parts of the buffalo. That’s part of the cultural revitalization. We are just glad to be part of this effort and to be with these other tribes that are working on bison conservation.” – Jason Baldes, Eastern Shoshone Tribe, Wind River.

“A Buffalo Story” follows Jason Baldes, Eastern Shoshone Tribe Member and National Wildlife Federation’s Tribal Buffalo Program Director, as he works to reintroduce buffalo to the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes of the Wind River Reservation. Check the film out here.

This film showcases the restoration of buffalo ecosystems, offering lessons on rebuilding relationships between humans, wildlife, and nature.

Ron's Note: Jason is a good friend, and really like hanging out with him when we can, he is also featured in "Native: Keystone", he knows a heck of a lot about bison, and ecology... he is also the guy who gave us the go-ahead on the "Lord of the Plains" shirts.. had to ask someone who knew how it would be received... ended up sending him the first one.

Best review yet!!!!