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Over the past two years, hundreds of Tribal Nations across North America have come together to oppose removal of Endangered Species Act protections from grizzly bears in the Yellowstone region and to fight trophy hunting. The grizzly bear is considered a sacred relative, integral to Tribal Nations’ religious and cultural practices. “The Grizzly: A Treaty of Cooperation, Cultural Revitalization and Restoration” is the most-signed treaty in history, and calls for grizzlies to be restored to biologically suitable habitat on Tribal lands in the grizzly’s historic range, rather than senselessly hunted for trophies.
The grizzly bear has been sacred to Tribal Nations since time immemorial, yet these Nations were never consulted in the Department of the Interior’s Yellowstone grizzly delisting decision last year. After the Yellowstone grizzly was delisted, those same Nations came together again to tell the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission that a trophy hunt would be detrimental to their way of life and to urge restoration rather than trophy hunting. But their voices are again being ignored by state wildlife management agencies which are moving forward with trophy hunts in Wyoming and Idaho. Listen to their story and take action at sc.org/nogrizhunt.