BOX ELDER — Hundreds of Chippewa Cree tribal members clung to a barbed-wire fence, cheering and high-fiving as the community welcomed the return of 11 bison to tribal lands.
"They're here!" Dustin Whitford, the tribe's language preservation officer, shouted to the crowd. Montana Cree, a local drum group, played the Chief Rocky Boy song as the bison were released into a 1,200-acre pasture.
Jason Belcourt, the tribe's sustainability coordinator, hugged everyone in sight. He smiled as he high-fived...