Project History

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe for decades had desires to restore our keystone relative the bizhikiiwag (bison) to their homelands here on our Nation. There were large efforts headed in 2012 with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s bison committee working closely with the InterTribal Bison Council. Site were selected and land assessments were conducted; the committee completed trainings and developed a business plan. Regretfully, those efforts during that time were not advanced and the project quieted due to internal turnover and transitions.

Tribal Development picked the project up again in 2024 and due to additional turnover, the project did not gain momentum until the end of 2025. At the same time the restoration project collaborated with the Leech Lake Department of Agriculture to continue efforts and form a committee to steer the welcoming of our bizhikiiwag. Forming a committee that was composed of community members, elders, members with health, education, resource management, land, planning and developing and agriculture backgrounds aided in the succession of the project.

During the 2026 period the bizhikiiwag committee took significant steps towards restoration as a broader effort to support cultural fortification, ecological land stewardship and long-term community and bizhikiiwag wellbeing. The Leech Lake Cultural Bizhikiiwag Ranch (CBR) restoration project was developed to encourage reconnect with traditional lifeways, land and ecological restoration, community and youth education and engagement opportunities and life-time food sovereignty planning. The welcoming of our relatives has been developed in a phased and intentional manner to ensure sustainability, safety for all and alignment with our community and Tribal values.