Conservation group sends 107 bison to Montana tribes

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Frontal view of American Bison in snow - Yellowstone National Park.
Kresopix/Getty Images/iStockphoto

A conservation group said it sent over 100 bison to tribes in Montana, South Dakota and Washington.

American Prairie sent 107 bison from its herd in eastern Montana to five tribes in November. Twenty-one were sent to the Blackfeet Nation and Rocky Boy tribe.

The conservation nonprofit distributes bison to tribes every year. The InterTribal Bison Council said this helps tribes build their herds and diversify genetics.

The bison are tested for brucellosis and other diseases before they are sent to tribes.

American Prairie said the distribution also helps it maintain its own herd, which now stands at about 900.

Restoring bison to the landscape is culturally important for tribes, which relied on the animals for centuries.

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Aaron graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism in 2015 after interning at Minnesota Public Radio. He landed his first reporting gig in Wrangell, Alaska where he enjoyed the remote Alaskan lifestyle and eventually moved back to the road system as the KBBI News Director in Homer, Alaska. He joined the MTPR team in 2019. Aaron now reports on all things in northwest Montana and statewide health care.