The Blackfeet Nation celebrated the release of a herd of bison into the wild near Babb in the northeast portion of Glacier County on June 26, 2023, marking the first time that bison have roamed this sprawling landscape since 1873.

The two dozen bison released on Monday are direct descendants of those that resided on these lands 150 years ago.

Lauren Monroe, Jr., a member of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council, posted on Facebook:

Blackfeet made a huge leap in tribal sovereignty and self-determination by releasing wild bison back into the Chief Mountain landscape. Its been well over 100 years since the miistakis (backbone of the world) held innii (buffalo). Blackfeet will eventually harvest them as part of herd management. A lot of partners and many tribal members have been pushing for years, and today it's a reality. I'm proud of the leadership I serve with and glad to work with those that take action.