The Séliš, Qlispé, and Ksanka people look forward to welcoming you to the Bison Range, and we hope you enjoy your visit. In 2020, Congress, via Public Law 116-260, restored the Bison Range to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. For us, this was a monumental decision. It allows us to maintain our ancient relationship of respect and reverence for bison and to share with you our language and cultural traditions around this magnificent animal.

Salish and Kootenai Tribal members were directly involved in saving the bison as a viable wildlife species. The bison herd here descends from a free-ranging Reservation herd started by tribal members in the 1800s, when plains bison were near extinction. As bison faced extermination, Łatatí (Little Falcon Robe), a Qlispé man, traveled to the Northern Great Plains and returned to his home on the reservation with a group of bison calves. Many of the bison purchased by the U.S. government for the Bison Range’s initial herd were descendants of those bison. Watch the video below to learn more about this history.