Our hope is that a meeting with Babbitt will initiate a process that allows Native voices to be heard in a legitimate and central way. We appreciate your ongoing support. We are writing to express our opposition to the government's policy of killing buffalo that wander outside the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park. Tribes have offered humane and viable solutions that do not involve more killing, yet their recommendations are not being heard or taken seriously. We urge you to support Native Nations in stopping this modern day massacre.
Buffalo are central to the cultural and spiritual way of life of tribes across the country.
Native peoples have lived alongside the buffalo for thousands and thousands of years, yet their extensive knowledge about bison has been excluded from the decision-making process. There is a need for federal agencies to more fully recognize the cultural and religious significance of buffalo to Native peoples and fully include tribes and Native communities in the critical decision-making process on the future of the herd. The fact that no meaningful consultation between federal officials and tribal governments has occurred is a violation of Native peoples' civil and human rights. Executive order and federal law both require this consultation and the buffalo deserve no less. We urge you to meet with tribal leaders and consult with them on their position and management recommendations on this issue.