The White Earth Nation was surprised and overjoyed as a bison calf was born out of season, a sign the band said demonstrates “resilience, healing, and hope.”
It’s the first bison calf born on the White Earth Reservation since it started a buffalo harvest and breeding program two years ago through the Inter-Tribal Buffalo Council.
Bison typically give birth in the spring, and the tribe’s bison foreman, Jack Heisler, said it’s an example of how wildlife “doesn’t follow a script.”
“This bison calf being born, it didn’t follow a script either, because the mama is so young,” Heisler told MPR News.
The White Earth Band is the largest of the six band which make up the Minnesota Chippewa, and their reservation is the largest in the state by land area. Its bison herd numbers 10, a number the nation hopes to grow to 44 by next year.
The Inter-Tribal Buffalo Council is an association of 80 tribes and nations that organize the return of bison to native lands all across North America for spiritual, cultural, and nutritional enrichment.
As GNN has reported before, bison herds are native grazers, and have a “keystone” effect on the land they graze—generating a cascade of secondary and tertiary benefits that create a resilient and biodiverse prairie landscape.
“This historic birth marks a new chapter in our ongoing efforts to restore the bison to Anishinaabe lands, reconnecting with a sacred relative that once roamed freely across our homelands,” the tribe posted on Facebook. “The calf’s arrival is more than just a moment of joy. It’s a sign of resilience, healing, and hope for future generations.”
This article by Andy Corbley was first published by Good News Network on 15 August 2025. Lead Image: Released from the White Earth Nation Agriculture Department.
Help to protect wildlife
Help to protect wildlife by donating as little as $5 – it only takes a minute!
Our conservation partners spend at least 90 percent of the money raised on actual fieldwork rather than administration and fundraising.
