The White Earth Nation was surprised and overjoyed as a bison calf was born out of season, a sign the band said demonstrates \u201cresilience, healing, and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the first bison calf born on the White Earth Reservation since it started a buffalo harvest and breeding program two years ago through the Inter-Tribal Buffalo Council.<\/p>\n
Bison typically give birth in the spring, and the tribe\u2019s bison foreman, Jack Heisler, said it\u2019s an example of how wildlife \u201cdoesn\u2019t follow a script.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis bison calf being born, it didn\u2019t follow a script either, because the mama is so young,\u201d Heisler told MPR News.<\/p>\n
The White Earth Band is the largest of the six band which make up the Minnesota Chippewa, and their reservation is the largest in the state by land area. Its bison herd numbers 10, a number the nation hopes to grow to 44 by next year.<\/p>\n
The Inter-Tribal Buffalo Council is an association of 80 tribes and nations that organize the return of bison to native lands all across North America for spiritual, cultural, and nutritional enrichment.<\/p>\n
As GNN has reported before, bison herds are native grazers, and have a \u201ckeystone\u201d effect on the land they graze\u2014generating a cascade of secondary and tertiary benefits that create a resilient and biodiverse prairie landscape.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis historic birth marks a new chapter in our ongoing efforts to restore the bison to Anishinaabe lands, reconnecting with a sacred relative that once roamed freely across our homelands,\u201d the tribe posted on Facebook. \u201cThe calf\u2019s arrival is more than just a moment of joy. It\u2019s a sign of resilience, healing, and hope for future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n