In 1991, on a chilly day in February, leaders from 19 tribes came together in the Black Hills of South Dakota to discuss what they could do to bring back the buffalo.
During the meeting, the Inter-Tribal Bison Cooperative was formed. This group helps tribes raise their own buffalo herds, which now include more than 8,000 animals.
The growing buffalo population is an important symbol to Plains Indians: They believe, as their ancestors did, that when the buffalo prospers, so will their people.
