Climate Change and Parks
Trip to the National Parks
Help power the National Parks Traveler’s coverage of national parks and protected areas.
Twenty-five plains bison were effectively transferred from Parks Canada to the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan.
The bison were transported from Grasslands National Park to establish a new herd on MN–S lands near Batoche National Historic Site, north of Saskatoon. The herd will be relocated to a portion of the 690 hectares (1,705 acres) of land on Batoche grounds that were transferred from Parks Canada to MN–S last year.
Bison are a cultural and ancient staple food for the Métis people. Traditionally, bison provided everything from food and clothing to equipment and a source of income. Buffalo or Métis buffalo hunts were well-organized, biannual occasions that involved the whole family. MN-S collaborated on this bison movement to strengthen the Métis communities’ connection to their identity and land.
The bison’s return to Batoche complements MN–S’ long-term vision of growing the herd and exploring the potential for economic progress that the herd will bring to the region. As stewards of the land, MN-S will also offer educational opportunities that will be developed with youth, elders, and the network in mind.
“Welcoming bison to Batoche is of great cultural significance to the Métis people of this province,” Michelle LeClair, vice president and minister of the environment for the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan, said in a press release. “Our youth will see a tangible experience demonstration of Métis culture and values while our elders provide an invaluable land-based education. Together, we will witness the expansion of the herd as it reclaims land and allows our Métis nation government to explore the opportunities that lie ahead.
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, said bison are a symbol of strength and resilience, a keystone species and an essential component of Indigenous people’s lives. He said the move would return – to establish cultural, ancient and religious links and demonstrate the government’s commitment to promoting reconciliation with the Métis.
A historic bison at the Batoche/Jennifer Bain National Historic Site Visitor Center
Over the past decade, Grasslands has worked with Indigenous communities that have implemented measures to house bison in order to return this culturally significant animal to its classic ranges, while also facilitating cultural or socioeconomic opportunities.
Located on the South Saskatchewan River, an hour north of Saskatoon, Batoche commemorates the historic Métis of Batoche, the land-use patterns of Métis River lots, and the 1885 standoff between the Métis Provisional Government and the Government of Canada.
In 1996, the Back to Batoche festival land adjacent to the site was transferred to the Métis and is now owned and controlled by MN-S.
In 1998, Parks Canada and MN–S signed the Batoche National Historic Site Management Agreement, which provided for the creation of a shared management board.
In December 2020, Parks Canada and MN-S agreed to explore and discuss a full diversity of features similar to the long-term control of Batoche under the Framework Agreement to Advance Reconciliation. The two components signed the agreement on July 20, 2018, as a component of the process of popularizing indigenous rights and self-determination.
In July 2022, Parks Canada transferred approximately 690 hectares of land in western Batoche to the citizens of Minnesota-S.
In November 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Parks Canada and MN-S to facilitate the relocation of the bison. The first phase of the MOU deals with the reintegration of bison into the grounds of the Back to Batoche festival, near the site. The second phase will locate the developing herd on a portion of the land that was moved in 2022.
The Batoche National Historic Site in Saskatchewan/Jennifer Bain
National Parks Traveler is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media organization.
2005-2022 National Parks Traveler