Restoring a Cultural Keystone Species

For Remington Bracher, working on the reintroduction of bison back to Canada is not only a win for his wildlife career, but also for his culture as a Nêhiyaw (Cree) member of Muskoday First Nation. In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Bracher, an Indigenous Liaison with Parks Canada and graduate student at the University of British Columbia, shares how growing up hunting and fishing led him into wildlife conservation. His current research combines policy analysis with quantitative population modeling to see what a sustainable Indigenous bison (Bison bison) harvest could look like. He hopes it will further his dream of one day seeing Indigenous bison hunts in national parks. Alongside his experiences working with bison, Bracher also discusses the importance of relationship-building, co-creation, youth involvement, and respectful integration of Indigenous knowledge in wildlife management. “Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices. Further reading:About Remington Bracher - https://wildlife.org/remington-bracher-earns-graduate-fellowship-in-wildlife-policy/The Native Student Development Program - https://wildlife.org/working-groups/npwmwg/Towards reconciliation: 10 Calls to Action to natural scientists working in Canada- https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2020-0005Singing Back the Buffalo documentary trailer - https://youtu.be/xshtMcU6fZE?si=JfKEJ3r8s8FmyjU2Photo Caption:  A bison stands in a grassland. Image by WikiImages from PixabayShare your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here!Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/Connect with us onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesocietyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society