The Buffalo Treaty is a living agreement that brings together Nations in a shared commitment to the restoration of the buffalo and the renewal of relationships with land, culture, and one another. Each year, the signatories gather to celebrate the work being done and to discuss the path forward. What began in 2014 as a historic moment has since become a growing movement, welcoming Nations across North America and beyond.

The Treaty was first signed on September 24, 2014, at the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. This inaugural signing included eight Nations: the Blackfeet Nation, Kainai/Blood Tribe, Siksika Nation, Piikani Nation, the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre Tribes of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, the Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Indian Reservation, and the Tsuut’ina Nation. Together, these Nations renewed a historic alliance to protect and bring back the buffalo, recognizing its vital role in Indigenous lifeways, economies, and spiritual practices.

In August 2015, the Chiniki and Wesley Bands of the Stoney Nakoda Nation hosted a Buffalo Treaty ceremony at the Banff Indian Ground, alongside the Samson Cree Nation. On September 23 of that year, all three Nations signed the Treaty during its first anniversary gathering, held at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. The event was part of a week-long buffalo celebration and educational gathering that strengthened relationships and welcomed new voices to the Treaty.

A year later, in September 2016, the Treaty continued to grow as nine Nations from Treaty 4 came together to sign during a ceremony on the Treaty 4 Reserve grounds in Saskatchewan. The new signatories included Sakimay First Nation, Star Blanket Cree Nation, Okanese First Nation, Ocean Man First Nation, Ochapowace First Nation, Pheasant Rump Nakota Nation, Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation, and Sapotaweyak Nation. Later that same month, on September 28 and 29, signatories, supporters, and observers gathered again in Banff, Alberta, to mark the second anniversary of the Treaty in conjunction with the American Bison Society Meeting. This collaboration reinforced the importance of Indigenous leadership in buffalo conservation and cross-border partnerships.

In 2017, Mistawasis Nêhiyawak held its own Treaty ceremony and formally signed the following year at the annual gathering hosted by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Indian Reservation in May 2018. At this gathering, the Ktunaxa Nation and the Secwépemc Nation also joined the Treaty, extending its reach further into western Canada and continuing the growth of intertribal cooperation and shared ecological vision.

The Treaty expanded significantly again in 2019. On September 20, Samson Cree Nation hosted the annual meeting of signatories and supporters, welcoming several new Nations to the Treaty: Ermineskin Cree Nation, Montana First Nation, Woodland Cree First Nation, Frog Lake First Nation, and Pigeon Lake Cree Nation. At this gathering, Pheasant Rump Nakota Nation also reaffirmed their commitment to the Treaty. That October, additional signings took place. On October 5 and 6 in Chico Hot Springs, Montana, the Eastern Shoshone Tribes and the Oglala Sioux Tribe of Pine Ridge signed the Treaty. Then, on October 31, the InterTribal Buffalo Council added their name to the Treaty at the American Bison Society Meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico. These signings reflected the Treaty’s deepening roots and the wide range of communities stepping forward in support of buffalo-led renewal.

After a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Treaty returned in 2022 with renewed energy. On June 2, during the Yellowstone 150th Anniversary Gathering held at Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, the Northern Arapaho (WY) and Lipan Apache (TX) signed the Treaty. On July 15, the Louis Bull Tribe (AB) and Nekaneet First Nation (SK) added their names. Then, on August 17, at the Sweetgrass Nation Powwow in Saskatchewan, a major group of signatories joined: Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, Moosomin First Nation, Mosquito–Grizzly Bear’s Head–Lean Man First Nation, Red Pheasant Cree Nation, Saulteaux First Nation, Stoney Knoll Band, Sweetgrass First Nation, and Waterhen Lake First Nation. These Nations make up the Battleford Agency Tribal Council, which had previously announced its intention to sign the Treaty. On September 25, Enoch Cree Nation (AB) became a signatory during their annual Treaty Day.

In 2023, the momentum continued. On August 15, Cowessess First Nation signed the Treaty during their annual Powwow, reaffirming the connection between ceremony, community, and commitment. On November 6, Aaniiih Nakoda College made history by becoming the first educational institution in the United States to sign the Buffalo Treaty, marking a new chapter for youth, education, and intergenerational buffalo knowledge.

The following year, the Treaty marked its ten-year anniversary with a powerful celebration in Standoff, Alberta — a return to Blackfoot territory where the Treaty was first born. On September 25, 2024, nine more signatories were welcomed: Ministikwan Lake First Nation (SK), Heiltsuk Nation (BC), Cold Lake First Nation (AB), Paul First Nation (AB), Smith’s Landing First Nation (NT), Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (AB), Ngāti Tūwharetoa (Aotearoa/New Zealand), Cote First Nation (SK), and Tobacco Plains Band (BC). Their participation reflected the Treaty’s growing global reach and the universal relevance of buffalo restoration as a pathway to cultural and ecological renewal.

Over the past decade, the Buffalo Treaty has grown from eight founding signatories to a powerful international alliance rooted in relationships — among Nations, with land, and with the buffalo. Its annual gatherings are more than ceremonial—they are moments of shared vision, intergenerational learning, and collective commitment to healing. As more Nations sign on and the work continues to evolve, the Treaty remains a living promise: to restore the buffalo, to restore ourselves, and to protect what is sacred for generations to come.

Origins of the Buffalo Treaty

Where the Buffalo Lead: The Story of the Buffalo Treaty