Abstract ID: 3.13524 | Accepted as Talk | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

Plains Bison, or Tatâga, are a culturally important species to the Stoney Nakoda people of the Rocky Mountains in Western Canada. In 2017, Parks Canada returned 16 head of Plains Bison to Banff National Park, and in 2025, this herd has now grown to over 130 head, and is thriving in Mînî Rhpa Mâkoche, or Banff National Park. The Bison Cultural Study, that was completed in 2022, sought to bring a more holistic approach to understanding, managing and mitigating how Plains Bison are managed in the Bison Reintroduction Zone, by providing an overview of the principle of Biculturalism, the Cultural Monitoring methodology,11 report recommendations, and an adaptation to the “Linear Holistic Model” by the late Vine Deloria Jr. In 2025, with the assistance of Braiding Knowledges Canada and Parks Canada, the Stoney Nakoda will embark on three year “Cultural Monitoring” study of the Bison herd, to better understand the Bison behavior, movements and habitat from a cultural perspective. The environmental and cultural benefits that Bison bring to landscapes may become clearer through a combined Western Science and Traditional Knowledge approach, that may serve as a nature-based solution to combat climate change, as well as keystone to cultural revitalization for the Stoney Nakoda People.