Overview
Join Dr. Shane Doyle (Apsaalooké) for a special buffalo-themed talk at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The event is part of the museum’s “Lunchtime Expedition” lecture series and is free and open to all.
American bison are one of the most iconic wild animals on the planet and have represented North America as our country’s national mammal for more than a decade. They serve an ecological role as a keystone species on the American prairie, and they are the foundational center of the historic and extraordinary Plains Indian way of life. In the 21st century, buffalo have proven to be resilient beacons of strength and hope. The Nature Conservancy is coming to know the significance of working with bison alongside Native communities, and this is why, in 2022, we began returning animals from our herds back to Tribally stewarded lands at no cost to Tribes.
In the talk, Dr. Doyle will reflect on the history and evolution of The Nature Conservancy’s commitment to restoring bison to Indigenous lands across the continent and discuss the organization’s vision for the future of bison restoration.
Dr. Doyle is a community and environmental advocate who hails from Crow Agency, MT. He currently serves as the North America Indigenous Right Relations Director for The Nature Conservancy, as well as the executive director of Yellowstone Peoples, an Indigenous nonprofit that supports and organizes an annual Intertribal Tipi Village event in Yellowstone Park. In his role for The Nature Conservancy, he works across the U.S. and Canada to help guide and support a Bison Restoration Program, as well as collaborating with partners to orchestrate Land Return to Tribal communities. He lives in Bozeman with his wife, Megkian, and their five children, Florence, Ruby, Lilian, Blake and Quanah.