Bison have been returning to several First Nations communities across the Prairies for the first time in decades. And a new seminar aims to share knowledge between Indigenous and non-Indigenous producers to ensure the success of the reimplementation.

The National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food (NCIAF) and Bison Producers of Alberta (BPA) signed a memorandum of understanding last month, in hopes of advancing reconciliation within the agriculture industry while fostering a national dialogue on Indigenous agriculture.

Its aim is collaboration on education and resources between Indigenous and non-Indigenous producers.

As a result, for the first time BPA’s annual conference in Red Deer at the end of February had an Indigenous component — a new pre-conference called the Indigenous bison seminar.

“As we move to advance food and agriculture in Canada, it’s really important that we start having rooms like this where we can learn from one another,” said Kallie Wood, the NCIAF’s president and CEO. 

The signing builds on the federal Indigenous Prairie Bison Initiative, a three-year, $5-million strategy. Its aim is to bring bison back to Prairie Indigenous communities for food security, restoring the environment, as an economic benefit, and for reasons relating to cultural identity.

“We have our First Nation side of things, and we have our western … mainstream society way of doing things,” said James Arcand, a councillor of the Alexander First Nation, about 40 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. 

“Our jobs are to merge those together and see what the best outcome we can create would be, for our people.”

A similar MOU was signed in June between the NCIAF and Canadian Bison Producers, as various communities have begun to ranch bison.

“They have to learn how to manage these animals properly because it’s not 200 years ago anymore, so it’s a different environment on what it takes to actually grow a buffalo,” said Mike Jacobson, chief operating officer of Noble Premium Bison, a Canadian bison producer. 

Wood said learning from the past mistakes of ranchers helps support the success of bringing bison back to Indigenous communities in modern times.

“If you look at our shared history in this country and all of the barriers and policies and acts that were put in place so that we couldn’t practise agriculture, I think it’s … advice and mentorship from those who’ve been in it for a very long time,” said Wood, member of the Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation located east of Regina. 

Finding support

The Indigenous bison seminar is the first of its kind in Canada, said Nathaniel Ostashewski, a bison rancher and Bison Producers of Alberta board member.

“There’s a lot of people, a lot of nations, a lot of buyers and producers, a lot of new people into our industry, [who] have to find the right supports,” he said. “It needs to be a ‘we,’ not a ‘them and us.’”

Ostashewski, an associate professor at Athabasca University with expertise in technology-based distance learning, hopes to turn the seminar into an open online course or video to make the information more accessible for even more people. 

It needs to be a we, not a ‘them and us’.– Nathaniel Ostashewski

Changing approach

The seminar featured talks from Willow Lake Métis Nation near Fort McMurray on how they prepared for their bison return and fencing, as well as on funding, safety, and more.  

In attendance were a variety of industry professionals. The seminar is changing things in the field already, with Lisa Nadeau of the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta there to learn what may need to change in her line of work.

She is the director of the environmental farm plan program, which she said may be something Indigenous communities need to complete in the future.

“With a lot of these emerging bison operations, it’s great to make sure that our practices in the EFP reflect that,” Nadeau said. 

The EFP measures environmental risks like soil health, water protection, fuel and chemical storage, waste management, biodiversity and sustainability.

“They don’t have the same experiences that other farms may have, and culturally are approaching it in a different way,” Nadeau said.

Connections

Arcand said among the connections his community made at the seminar were Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, located in southern Manitoba. Both have received their bison, and exchanged ideas about herding the animals.

“We’re learning different things, different approaches,” Arcand said.

“You can kind of put your guard down here in this space because everybody is after the same common ground, which is protecting the bison, giving them a better quality of life.”

Wood emphasized that while agreements are helping to improve understanding, true reconciliation is an ongoing effort.  She said it’s like the Dakota term wo inina — which requires not only listening and learning, but ultimately, taking concrete action.

“When we talk about reconciliation, the key piece of that is the action.”