The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) of Montana signed an agreement
on December 15 with the U.S. Department of the Interior to absorb some management
functions for the National Bison Range this year and share responsibility for
herds located within the boundaries of the Flathead Reservation. Members of the
CSKT will be responsible for maintenance and visitor services, as well as creating
a biological and a fire program on the range. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
will continue to maintain ownership and management authority over the bison range.
Indianz.com reported that the CSKT will receive less than $1 million during the
current fiscal year to implement the management functions.
The Indian Self Determination Act, which was amended in 1994 to include cultural, legal, historical, and geographical connections Native peoples have to national parks and wildlife refuges, allowed the CSKT to come to this agreement. The CSKT lost their land to the U.S. government without tribal consent in 1908. More than 60 parks and refuges across the United States could be eligible for tribal management as a result of this agreement.
