Buffalo Field Campaign Hosts House of the Moon

For Immediate Release

June 9, 2022 Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC)

Contacts:
James Holt Sr., Executive Director, BFC – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – (208) 791-3306

West Yellowstone, Montana - Buffalo Field Campaign was honored to welcome “House of the Moon” to camp last week. House of the Moon is a grassroots and Indigenous-led holistic healing and restoration movement whose mission is to end the ongoing atrocities and injustices around Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). While Native Americans only comprise 2% of the U.S. population, the murder rate is ten times higher than the national average for women living on reservations, and is the third leading cause of death for Native women. Montana has the 5th highest number (41) of unsolved MMIWG, with 29 from Billings alone.

BFC photo 32

On June 3rd and 4th, Indigenous women leaders and others involved in this important effort journeyed to Campaign Headquarters on Hebgen Lake in West Yellowstone, MT, where they were nurtured with traditional foods, educated through empowerment training, and healed in sacred ceremonies. These proud indigenous women hailed from British Columbia, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Southern California, Idaho, and various other places they call home. Renowned indigenous chef Nephi Craig from the White Mountain Apache Tribe prepared sumptuous indigenous meals for the group, sharing his traditional ecological knowledge on the central importance of food security and food sovereignty in the facilitation of physical and spiritual healing.

bfc hom 02

Hosting the House of the Moon builds upon the roots planted by our co-founder Rosalie Little Thunder. Buffalo Field Campaign strives to center indigenous peoples in the Yellowstone ecosystem, and elevate their voices in regional governance issues. The Campaign looks forward to continuing our relationship with House of the Moon, as well as expanding these efforts to engage with other diverse groups from across the United States and Canada. Sharing our knowledge and experience on the plight of Yellowstone’s wild bison with these groups supports our mission and furthers our efforts to secure appropriate management and protection for America’s most iconic species. And of course, we trust that visitors to the Campaign draw strength, courage and inspiration from being in the presence of the buffalo.

bfc hom 11