Just five years ago, the Texas Tribal Buffalo Project (TTBP) started with fewer than 10 buffalo. Today, their herd has grown to 40 across two properties, reshaping both ecosystem health and community resilience in Texas. What was once nearly lost is being carefully rebuilt by the TTBP, an Indigenous-led initiative founded by Lipan Apache descendant Lucille Contreras.
On a bright Texas morning, The Conservation Alliance’s Grant Program Director, Kim Paymaster, along with representatives from Shar Snacks (TCA member) and Gossamer Gear (Brands for Public Lands member), joined Lucille and her team in Waelder. They were there to see how a small but committed group is achieving outsized impact by restoring ecosystems, advancing food sovereignty, and strengthening community well-being through the return of buffalo to their ancestral home.
Our group was met by TTBP Ranch Manager, Denise Lozano, who provided an in-depth overview of her work and the important role that buffalo play. Each team member we met at TTBP was part of the “family” and through their relationships to the work, each other, and the buffalo, it was clear that this was a powerful form of intergenerational and cultural connection that many had lost previously. “We take care of the buffalo, and they take care of us”, Lucille said at one point, referencing a larger understanding that buffalo and many indigenous people live together as sacred relatives.
After sharing lunch with our hosts, we suddenly heard the sound of buffalo running. They had brought them over to an open field near where we were. It was an incredible sight to see them all bounding forward together. We spent quite a while just watching them – from behind a fence – and learning about how they operate with a matriarchal structure. The team told us stories about particular buffalo, describing personalities and interactions that brought them to life. We also learned about the incredible ways in which buffalo were restoring the landscape. We heard about how buffalo were more effective at getting rid of invasive species like mesquite than cattle, restoring the grasslands. We saw shallow dips in the ground where buffalo had laid down, creating spaces where rainwater could collect and allow for new species to enter the local ecosystem.
Over the course of three hours, we built relationships, felt welcomed into this culturally significant space, and developed a stronger understanding of why this form of ecological conservation is so important. “Standing among the buffalo, you feel the weight of history and the hope for the future. The Texas Tribal Buffalo Initiative is a powerful example of conservation led with heart and integrity, and we’re honored that Shār’s support of The Conservation Alliance helps make this work possible,” said Peter Rushford, Founder & CEO of Shār.
A History of Loss and Renewal
Once numbering over 60 million across North America, the American Bison (Iyane’e) were driven to fewer than 500 in the 19th century as federal policy targeted Native food systems. This near-eradication devastated ecosystems and forced cycles of poverty and dependence that Native communities still grapple with today.
Yet through Indigenous leadership and conservation efforts, buffalo are returning. No longer endangered, they are once again restoring grasslands, recharging aquifers, and creating habitat for wildlife.
The Texas Tribal Buffalo Project
Founded in 2020, TTBP is dedicated to “rematriating land, culture, and kinship” between Native communities and buffalo. With 12 staff and nearly 250 volunteers, the project manages 77 acres in Waelder and 149 acres in Floresville, land acquired with support from a TCA Member Collective Grant in 2024.
Their programs link ecological restoration with cultural health. The Meat for Mamas initiative provides buffalo meat to Indigenous pregnant women, advancing maternal health while strengthening cultural ties. Youth camps, leadership workshops, and traditional ecological practices ensure knowledge is shared across generations. Notably, TTBP is the only bison producer nationwide that accepts EBT and SNAP benefits – government support to low-income individual and family access food -, making healthy, traditional food more accessible to Indigenous families.
Looking Ahead
Next steps include securing USDA Voluntary Inspection certification, which would allow TTBP to process more of its buffalo in-house. Lucille also hopes to expand wellness support for her staff, recognizing the demands of caring for land and animals while carrying forward cultural healing.
“The Texas Tribal Buffalo Project’s first priority is soil, grass, and water health,” she said. “But our aim is broader: to heal historical traumas caused by forced relocations, land theft, and massacres.”
Why It Matters
Rematriation of buffalo is more than ecological restoration, it is cultural renewal. By bringing back the Iyane’e, TTBP is restoring balance to the southern plains while addressing food insecurity, health disparities, and generational trauma among Indigenous communities in Texas.
The Conservation Alliance is proud to stand alongside TTBP as they expand this critical work. Their story is a reminder that conservation is not only about protecting lands and wildlife, it is about healing relationships between people, culture, and place.
