INDIGENOUS LED

Blackfeet Buffalo return home to the sacred Nínaiistáko or Chief Mountain—"the first time our relatives are free to roam Blackfoot lands since genocide." Photo By: Louise Johns

"Our founding premise is that if we are going to turn around what’s happened to the earth, that work needs to be informed by the values that live at the Indigenous way of living with the planet. We’ve lost a lot of respect. Respect for each other. Respect for the land. Respect for our animals. And even often, respect for ourselves. Our work to bring back buffalo is as much about healing the land as it is about healing people and bringing back that respect."

Akaipoo/Many Travels — Ervin Carlson (Blackfeet Nation), Co-Founder & Strategic Advisor

About INDIGENOUS LED

INDIGENOUS LED (a project of WILD Foundation) was founded by Indigenous People for Indigenous People to amplify the power of Indigenous-led conservation. The organization addresses the planetary crisis, rooted in the disconnection between people and the land, by fostering collaboration across art, science, policy, and cultural practices. Working with grassroots organizations and Tribal Nations, including the Blackfoot Confederacy, INDIGENOUS LED reintroduces and restores keystone species like buffalo across the Northern Rockies and beyond. Guided by Indigenous values and ways of knowing, INDIGENOUS LED’s efforts are dedicated to protecting and restoring bio-culturally significant species and landscapes, while advancing justice and reconciliation for Indigenous Peoples through holistic, community-driven solutions.

>> Learn more: INDIGENOUS LED Website | Instagram

About INDIGENOUS LED

>> Learn more: INDIGENOUS LED Website | Instagram

Rivian Foundation's grant

Rivian Foundation's support is helping INDIGENOUS LED to replicate and scale its rewilding and conservation initiatives, building on successful bison restoration efforts led by the Blackfoot Confederacy. The Foundation's support will also help INDIGENOUS LED to enhance its organizational capacity, expand its growing network of partnerships across Indian Country, foster collaboration with other Tribal leaders and Native-led organizations, and further demonstrate Indigenous-led solutions to ecological challenges.