Tribes that restored buffalo are killing some to feed people because of the shutdown

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With food aid suspended in the government shutdown, Fort Peck and other tribes are culling restored buffalo herds to distribute meat to hungry members.

The animals — hunted to near-extinction in the 1800s — now serve as emergency backup, underscoring tribes’ foresight in rebuilding herds as insurance against federal budget crises.

The crisis exposes the federal government’s failure to uphold treaty obligations, as Native communities nationwide resort to hunting moose, deer and other resources to survive.

WOLF POINT, Mont. — On the open plains of the Fort Peck Reservation, Robert Magnan leaned out the window of his truck, set a rifle against the door frame and then “pop!” — a bis