Donavan Waupoose Sr. (Menominee Nation): Donavan is the inaugural Director of Buffalo Restoration for Medicine Fish Inc., a tribally led grassroots organization whose aim is restoring traditional and interpersonal connection between Indigenous youth and Mother Earth. Donavan grew up on his reservation, which gave him valuable insight into cultural approaches to leadership, including how to cultivate the skills and spiritual strengths of indigenous youth. According to Donavan, the buffalo is central to healing and enables people to deepen their indigenous identity. He uses a cultural framework of tribal values that prioritizes people and purpose, inspiring community members of all ages and backgrounds to heal and learn new ways of connecting with each other in kinship.

Ervin Carlson (Blackfeet Nation): Director, Blackfeet Nation’s Buffalo Program; President, InterTribal Buffalo Council; and Co-founder and Strategic Advisor, INDIGENOUS LED. Ervin is the co-founder and a Strategic Advisor to INDIGENOUS LED. Ervin currently serves as the Director of the Blackfeet Nation’s Buffalo Program and President of the InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC). The Blackfeet herd is managed to a conservation and cultural vision. Ervin has worked for decades to bring into reality a vision of bison ranging freely once again across Blackfoot Traditional Territory. ITBC was formed in 1990 to coordinate and assist tribes in returning buffalo to Indian country and has grown to represent 79 Tribal Nations. Ervin holds intimate knowledge of bison restoration from an Indigenous perspective, is an active cattle rancher, and has previously served on the Blackfeet Tribal Council. 

Jason Baldes (Eastern Shoshone Tribe): Executive Director, Wind River Tribal Buffalo Institute and in his capacity as Tribal Buffalo Manager has helped restore more than 100 Buffalo to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes in Wind River since 2016. He also sits on the InterTribal Buffalo Council’s Board of directors, the Conservation Lands Foundation Board of Trustees & the environmental commission of the Congress of Nations & States.  

(Moderator) Cristina Mormorunni (Métis): Cristina is the co-founder of INDIGENOUS LED and currently serves as its Director, with responsibility for strategic leadership & creative direction. She has 30years of applied experience from the Arctic to the Antarctic leading campaigns & designing biocultural conservation strategies for non-profits, foundations & individual donors. She also serves as the Founder & Principle of the TERRAMAR collective, which provides strategic advice to foundations and non-profits interested in Indigenous-led conservation and the protection of biocultural diversity. She is vaguely obsessed with restoring Buffalo and her dog, Oberon.