Indigenous Prairie Bison Initiative: Supporting Bison Stewardship Across the Prairies

IPBI is a three-year initiative (2025–2028) supporting Indigenous-led approaches to bison restoration, stewardship, and rematriation across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. NCIAF has accepted funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Strategic Partnership Initiative which is a program ran collectively with Indigenous Services Canada.

As a non-profit, the NCIAF is not an industry body nor a government department, but has accepted AAFC funding to engage directly with communities, nations and Indigenous entrepreneurs in the Bison space to better understand interests, priorities, opportunities, and barriers related to starting up or scaling initiatives. The initiative is designed to listen first — working alongside Indigenous communities, bison caretakers, and entrepreneurs to better understand needs, priorities, challenges, and opportunities related to bison on the Prairies.

While the program does not provide direct funding to communities, funding will be used for:
• Engagement: We are inviting Indigenous communities, bison stewards, and Indigenous entrepreneurs to share their experiences, interests, needs, challenges, and visions related to raising and stewarding bison. These conversations will directly influence and shape the next two outcomes.

• Events: What we hear through engagement will inform regional gatherings and knowledge-sharing events. Funding is available to support the planning and hosting of IPBI-related events in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta that bring communities to deliver knowledge, strengthen  relationships, and learn from one another.

• Education & Resources: Funding will also be used to collect and develop comprehensive capacity building resources including education, business planning support and feasibility studies. There is much good work already underway and the initiative will look to collect, gather and amplify the existing resources that exist but also work together with other organizations, experts and Indigenous knowledge keepers to collaboratively address gaps with industry experts and Indigenous knowledge keepers. The ultimate goal is to see relevant, timely, and complete resources available to communities and producers.

Beyond the goal to strengthen Indigenous-led bison stewardship with solutions built by Indigenous Bison Stewards, its is the NCIAF’s mission to use what is heard to advocate for stronger programming, education pathways, and future funding opportunities from government, industry, and academia.

As part of this work, IPBI will also be inclusive to communities without bison but interested in exploring this option. Capacity-building activities, engagement opportunities, and educational resources developed through IPBI will be accessible to Indigenous communities and producers across the Prairies, including those without existing herds.

AAFC is also working directly with communities to develop learning herds across the prairie region to offer additional training opportunities. To find out more about Learning Herds, please reach out to AAFC directly at aafc.ipbi-iabp.aac@agr.gc.ca.