Bison welcomed back to Waterton
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Government policy
Parks Canada welcomed six plains bison from Elk Island National Park to the Waterton Lakes National Park bison paddock on Feb. 19.
Parks Canada was joined by Blackfoot Confederacy elders from Kainai Nation, Piikani Nation and Siksika Nation to welcome the bison (known as Iinnii in Blackfoot) back to the park, blessing the animals and the land in a private, physically-distanced prayer ceremony. A local bison specialist, who is also a Kainai First Nation member, transported the animals to the park with Parks Canada support. Safe handling and respect for the bison is a top priority during translocation. Parks Canada staff have a wealth of experience and expertise working with wildlife in ways that keep people and animals safe.Â
CALGARY Six plains bison were transferred to Waterton Lakes National Park on Feb. 19, with several Indigenous elders on hand to commemorate the occasion. Blackfoot Confederacy elders from the Kainai Nation, Piikani Nation and Siksika Nation provided blessings for both the animals and land in a prayer ceremony. “It is something that was a dream of our elders to bring those buffalo back, both onto the reserve and back to Waterton of course,” said Leroy Little Bear, a member of the Kainai Nation. He has been part of a bison restoration project that began in 2008, with Indigenous elders working with conservation groups and Parks Canada to return plains bison to the prairies.
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